Paddy Padmanathan

Actively involved in accelerating energy transition by driving the cost of renewable energy, now also green hydrogen and desalinated water. Led the expansion of ACWA Power from a start-up in 2005 to where it is today; a company listed on the Saudi stock Exchange valued at more than US$ 30 Billion, a leading private developer, owner and operator of power generation and desalinated water production plants now also developing the world’s first at- scale green hydrogen project. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, the company now employs over 3,500 people and a portfolio of assets of an investment value of more than USD 75 billion in 13 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia producing 42 GW of power and 6.4 million m3 /day of desalinated water and now a plant in construction to produce 240,000 tons/year of green hydrogen at NEOM in Saudi Arabia. In addition to the role at ACWA Power also co-founder and Vice Chairman of Zhero BV, a developer of renewable energy and green hydrogen projects at scale focusing in Europe - Middle East - North Africa corridor, Southern part of Africa and USA; and Vice Chairman of XLinks, a company that is developing large scale renewable energy projects and electricity interconnectors with first project in advanced state of development to generate 10GW of renewable energy in Morocco and transfer it via a 3800 KM underwater direct pipeline to the United Kingdom to supply 3.8GW of stable electricity (8% of UK demand). Prior to ACWA Power, 24 years in engineering and construction of civil infrastructure in 12 countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia. Bourn in Sri Lanka, secondary school in Zambia and tertiary education in Engineering and Management in UK. today also Non Exec Director of Heliogen and Besix.

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