The man was charged with stealing €5,995 from a safe in the Inver Filling Station on Woodstock Street in Athy on 11 August after he allegedly went into the manager’s office and forced a safe.

Sergeant Bran Jacob told the court the defendant had been identified in this instance by CCTV coverage.

There was a further charge of trespass rather than theft after he was again caught on CCTV “rummaging around the staffroom of the Circle K Filling Station on the M7 (Kill)” in May.

“The thefts are all down to addiction, I am unable to make restitution,” the defendant told the Court.

“Tell the judge I’m very sorry to everyone,” he said.

On 11 February at Lidl in Naas he stole 17 bottles of Smirnoff valued at €391,

“He hopes to go to Cuan Mhuire, he knows this type of behaviour can’t continue, and he is apologetic,” his barrister said.

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John O’Leary was appointed as managing director of Inver in early 2023 – how has he found the role to date?

“Exciting, challenging and immensely enjoyable. We have a great team and a long established, diverse customer base spanning across marine, aviation, industrial, agricultural, domestic and of course the retail fuel sector. The journey to decarbonisation is challenging us to be more innovative in our thinking and every day is a learning opportunity” John told IF&CR.

A certified accountant by training, he spent 14 years in finance roles in the medical industry in the UK and Ireland, followed by two years in the global communications group WPP.

“I joined Inver as CFO in 2013 and moved to Greenergy, our parent company, to become European Head of Finance in 2018, based in Manchester. I was delighted to return to Inver as Managing Director in 2023.”

As the figure head for Inver, what strategic vision does John have for the brand/company?

“My vision is for Inver to be recognised as a leader in decarbonising transportation in Ireland through our use of low carbon fuels. A key element in achieving that is our jointly owned terminal in Foynes, the most modern terminal in the country. The flexible configuration of the terminal allows us to continually adapt to the increasing requirements associated with meeting Ireland’s Climate Action Plan targets” he said.

Inver is part of the Greenergy Group – can you outline Inver’s place in the over-arching company structure?

“Our purpose, mission and values are very much aligned. Greenergy has three decades of experience working to decarbonise transport fuels and is Europe’s largest manufacturer of biodiesel from waste. Greenergy is also investing in other next generation renewable projects to help drive the energy transition and support circularity.

“We work very closely with our Greenergy colleagues daily to deliver on our shared mission and values, which underpin our interactions both internally, with our customers, suppliers and broader community.

These are turbulent times for the oil/fuel industries – with policy and legislation driving change and moves towards carbon neutrality. This must bring up many challenges – and opportunities for Inver – how are you managing these necessary developments and changes?

“Yes, it can be challenging managing through such change, we manage by being flexible, adaptable and responsive to change. These qualities are demonstrated by our people daily and are our strongest asset in dealing with a constantly evolving industry.”

How and what can Inver offer a forecourt in Ireland – what are the main benefits of being an Inver customer?

“Inver customers enjoy a host of compelling benefits that set us apart as a fast-growing fuel supplier in the market. We take pride in supplying traceable, quality-assured fuels through a flexible partnership ensuring seamless and straightforward collaboration. Our supply security is guaranteed through our advanced terminal in Foynes.

“With a strong reputation for honesty, safety, and dependability, Inver stands as a trusted choice with a positive recall amongst customers. Choosing to be part of the Inver family is also choosing to support your local community.”

Marketing and promotions are becoming increasingly important in such a competitive fuel marketplace – being a ‘visible’ brand and having a social media presence is more pertinent than ever – how does Inver’s outward facing marketing make a difference?

“It allows us a platform to connect with our customers and motorists, and we use this platform to engage, inform and educate. For example, fuel quality and traceability are paramount to Inver and our customers, and our quality assured fuel programme champions this through pump branding and point of sale materials at the forecourt. We have developed this programme to give our partners and motorists the assurance that fuel supplied by Inver meets the National and European fuel standards, and have complete traceability from the point of origin at the refinery to delivery at the forecourt” explained John.

“Social media plays a vital role and provides a direct channel to engage with motorists, connect with communities around our forecourts and communicate key messages. For example, we use social media channels to share updates on our charitable initiatives, new forecourt openings and product launches, including our recent launch of HVO at selected forecourts. We find that our presence on social media efforts fosters a sense of connection and engagement with motorists and our broader community.”

If you had to make a one-minute elevator pitch for Inver – what would you say?

“At Inver, we prioritise excellence in customer service and aim to build long-lasting relationships with our customers, whilst helping them to manage the energy transition journey and meet Ireland’s decarbonisation targets with our certified, quality-assured fuels.”

In the last edition of IF&CR we covered the story about Inver Energy rolling out HVO at selected forecourts. How’s that been going and what’s the feedback so far?

“It’s showing incremental week on week growth, which is very gratifying. The feedback has been positive, but it’s also clear that there is an ongoing requirement to educate other market sectors in addition to transport on the benefits that using HVO provides in reducing carbon emissions, when appropriately certified.   “

How will this progress – is HVO the future of/for Inver Energy?

“It’s certainly a key element of our transport decarbonisation strategy. We are fortunate to have a modern terminal already optimally configured to store and blend HVO along with other biofuels, that can help meet the increasing Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). HVO is also suitable for use in other sectors than transport, such as electricity generation, domestic heating and industrial applications. I therefore certainly see it playing an important role in our decarbonisation journey.

“Given global demand for feedstocks however, and the targets for advanced biofuels supply incorporated in the EU Renewable Energy Directive, I also see a role for other types of biofuels in the future.”

It could be argued that Ireland is just one giant village – supporting local communities is at the core for many businesses – how does Inver get involved at grassroot level, with local people, schools, sports and so on?

“We’ve very conscious that our forecourts, both Inver owned and those owned by our partners, are embedded in our communities. Our “Leading Lights” programme, which we operate in conjunction with our forecourt partners, provides on the ground support to those local organisations that share our common goals to support education, technology, children and family.  We maintain our own Inver community social channels and use these to highlight some of the great work done by the local groups we support” John told IF&CR.

“For a number of years, Inver has also sponsored the Junior Munster Rugby Supporters Club by providing free memberships for children. This gives children who play rugby or love to follow rugby an opportunity to interact and meet their heroes and be part of the Munster Inver Community.”

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The first three forecourts have begun sales, with HVO now available at Inver Fermoy in Co. Cork, Inver Johnstown in Co. Kilkenny and Inver Castletroy in Co. Limerick with further sites to follow. HVO fuel purchases can be made with Inver’s fuel card, which operates across the DCI network.

John O’Leary, Managing Director, said: ‘We are committed to providing our customers with a range of low carbon fuels that will help them reduce their carbon emissions and help support Ireland’s decarbonisation targets. Making HVO available at forecourts marks a significant step in meeting the rising demands for reliable supply of low carbon fuels closer to our customers.’

Inver Energy

Inver Energy has been operating in the Irish market for more than 30 years and is a national importer of fuel products supplying a wide range of customers from local forecourts to large industrial businesses.  Leveraging its existing infrastructure, Inver is extending its existing offering of low carbon fuels to help reduce transport emissions.

Inver Energy is part of the Greenergy Group, Europe’s largest manufacturer of waste-based biodiesel, and an established supplier and distributor of transportation fuels with a proven track record as a low-cost supplier delivering highly reliable customer service.

 What is HVO?

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is a biofuel made by hydrotreating vegetable oil, animal oils and fat. Also known as renewable diesel, HVO can reduce emissions by up to 90% compared to regular diesel.  It can also be used as a replacement to diesel without engine and machinery modification.

What is the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO)?

The Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) is regulated by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and obligates suppliers to meet biofuel blend percentages in transport fuels. Currently set at 16.985% by energy content with further plans to increase, the obligation must be met through the adoption of various biofuels, such as biodiesel and HVO.

All HVO marketed by Inver is sourced from auditable and certified supply chains and comply with the International Sustainability & Carbon Certifications (ISCC) scheme and National and European fuel standards, and all carbon reductions resulting from the use of HVO supplied by Inver will count towards Ireland’s national targets for transport emissions reductions.

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Following two years of covid restrictions, we hoped that we would see a year returning to more normal conditions. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February significantly impacted the global fuel market after sanctions were introduced as a response.

As a national fuel supplier, it was our immediate priority to secure a reliable fuel supply to our Irish customers and growing forecourt network. Our flexible supply chain and joint venture at Foynes terminal allows us to import, distribute and blend fuels, so we were in a unique position to secure supply that could withstand fluctuating market demands.

Our focus remains on serving our customers with unparalleled quality fuel and convenience offering at our forecourts. Our commitment to expand our retail network through investment in new and existing sites saw us welcome a further 16 Inver branded forecourts in 2022 – including two newly renovated forecourts in in Slieverue in Co. Kilkenny and Mallow Co. Cork.

Despite ongoing staff and recruitment shortages that have been felt in many industries across Ireland, we have welcomed 31 new permanent staff in full-time and part-time roles across our business to help serve our customers and communities. We are also continuing to enhance our offer in our growing forecourt network, combining the Inver Xtra additised fuel with a diverse convenience food offering, provided with our retail partners.  Through these partnerships, we are able to offer our customers a comprehensive range of quality products.

Our forecourts play an important role in their local communities, and as part of our Leading Lights programme, we partner with our independent retailers to support local charities.  Since launched, we have donated over €250,000 to nearly 300 organisations and in 2022, we donated over €68,000 to 94 charities across Ireland.  Amongst these recipients are charities that assist children and adults with autism, provide homelessness support, ambulance services, and guide dog services to name a few. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), football and rugby clubs have been able to provide their young players with additional training gear and match day essentials in the area surrounding their local service station. By working closely with our independent retailers, we can navigate the everchanging market and continue to offer a premium customer experience, as well as supporting our communities where it is needed the most.

As we look ahead for our industry, and Government implements its strategy for decarbonisation, investment is needed to support the transition that will transform Ireland’s fuel offer. Under the Renewable Fuel Obligation scheme suppliers are required to ensure that 16.985% of the supplied fuels’ energy content is from renewable sources, such as bioethanol or biodiesel. The blending of biofuels into petrol and diesel continues to be the most effective way to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles on the road today, however a mix of lower carbon fuels will be needed to help achieve Ireland’s targets.

Working closely together with our retailers will play a key role in supporting the energy transition and decarbonisation strategies for Ireland. We are expanding our supply of renewable fuels to include nationwide sales of waste based Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) from our Foynes terminal, and plan to introduce HVO onto selected forecourts as well as introducing more rapid and high-power EV chargers. It is a key priority for our business to play our role in the energy transition by offering our Irish customers a range of competitive options.

Our industry will continue to change, and our success as an industry and as a business comes from our ability to transform and adapt. Our strategy for growth is underpinned by our focus on our customers, investing in our business and delivering a mix of products to reduce emissions. This is an exciting time for our industry, and I am honoured to take over from Chris O’Callaghan, and I look forward to working with our exceptional teams to further grow the Inver brands and deliver exceptional service to our customers across Ireland.

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