Q&A
BADMINTON CHAMP AND FLOGAS IRELAND LPG BUSINESS UNIT MANAGING DIRECTOR KEVIN DONNELLY HAS WORKED IN THE SECTOR SINCE COMPLETING HIS STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING…
Playing a pivotal role in alternative energy solutions
How did you get into the LPG sector? I was born and grew up in Belfast. After school, I wanted to go to the University of Ulster, so I applied for eight different courses in very different areas. However, my dad recommended mechanical engineering and that’s what I opted to do. As part of the degree course, there was a one-year job placement and, at the time, the best graduate programmes were with LPG companies so that was my start in the industry. When my job placement was finished, I was offered a full-time job with that company as a project engineer and I subsequently worked in a mix of operations, sales and marketing roles for several years with different companies in Ireland and Europe before joining Flogas in 2017. I started as sales manager for domestic and commercial bulk LPG in Northern Ireland. Since then, I’ve progressed through several roles and became managing director of the Flogas LPG business in Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2024. What are your key responsibilities in your current role? My role is to set and execute the strategic direction of our LPG business, which involves meeting customers, installers and developers to sell the vision of the LPG industry, which has a very strong future and will be around for decades to come. In Ireland, over 400,000 households still rely on oil for home heat, so installers play a pivotal role in offering alternative energy solutions to rural homes in their area. It’s a very consultative partnership approach and we have a dedicated incentive scheme, with a financial bonus for each converted lead. We connect our installers with customers, provide marketing support and share regional and local knowledge. Our aim is to grow our business together in converting rural homes on high-carbon fuels such as oil and solid fuels to LPG. It’s a cleaner, more efficient solution
Kevin Donnelly, Managing Director, Flogas Ireland LPG Business Unit.
Additional training is required and it’s flexible and available at centres around the country. “Becoming an LPG qualified installer is the right step towards futureproofing your business for years to come.” What are your hobbies and interests outside of work? I’ve been playing badminton since I was seven years old and won my first all-Ireland singles title at 14. I’m now playing masters badminton and am proud to be ranked the Irish number one for my age group. www.flogas.ie
that works very well with solar along with the added bonus of being virtually theft proof. Both LPG and BioLPG offer significant potential to assist rural Ireland on its decarbonisation journey. What is the future for LPG? LPG is like the world’s best kept secret for home heat; it’s the perfect transitional fuel. We’re assuring installers of the very viable future of LPG and to back this up, we’ve invested €4m in our LPG tanker fleet, with the purchase of 17 new vehicles backed up by our highly experienced LPG support team. LPG is part of our mix of renewal and hybrid energy solutions for homeowners and businesses alike. Becoming an LPG qualified installer is the right step towards futureproofing your business for years to come.
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