Day 1:
New Energy Update
Katherine Poseidon, Lead Policy Analyst, Bloomberg NEF
- Discuss recent political and economic developments across the region to set the context for discussion on the renewable energy sector
- Answer where the GCC is heading in terms of development to define energy generation and energy management’s role
- Assess the future for strategic international support in North Africa to understand the financing and investment roadmap
Amaan Lafayette, CEO, NESMA Renewables
Katherine Poseidon, Lead Policy Analyst, Bloomberg NEF
Iwan Walters, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Daniel Calderon, CEO, Alcazar Energy
Moderator: Michelle T Davies, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Identify the project deployment roadmap for 2019 onwards - where will the next waves of activity be?
- Evaluate how commercial SWOTs (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) for renewable project development have transformed annually
- Assess whether the region will follow global renewable energy trends - will a distributed energy system prevail, and will the region catch up on storage solutions
- Assess the impact of the wider energy transition – is it happening?
Rajit Nanda, Chief Investment Officer, ACWA Power
Sofia Chahbane, VP Business Development, Engie
Yasmina Benmessaoud, Market Intelligence & Insights Manager, MASEN
Francois Dao, Vice President, Middle East & Africa, EDF Energies Nouvelles
Josefin Berg, Manager - Research & Analysis, IHS Markit
Moderator: Cornelius Matthes, Senior Vice President, Dii
- Address where we are with development in the UAE, what can be learnt from current developments
- Discuss strategies and approaches to meet 2026 renewable energy targets
- Gain insight on the latest projects and initiatives - assess lessons learnt from reaching financial close on the largest utility-scale projects in the world
- Assess how Emirates renewable energy programmes will create a pipeline for suppliers, service and solution providers.
Jesús Sancho, ME Managing Director, ACCIONA
Iwan Walters, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Mothana Bahjeat Qteishat, Managing Director, Jinko Power
Mohamed Attari, Manager - Business Development, ACWA Power
Basma El Zein, Dean of Scientific Research, University of Business and Technology (UBT)
Moderator: Cristian Algar, ME Due Diligence Head, Underwriters Laboratories
- Identify how energy storage can add value in the region today and in the near future (on- and off-grid, in-front of the meter and behind the meter, supply- and demand side)
- Review the upcoming and ongoing energy storage tenders with participants and off takers and discover the long term plans for energy storage projects
- Discuss the cornerstones of a strong energy storage framework for sustained market growth enabling commercially viable energy storage deployment across MENA
Florian Mayr, Partner, Apricum
Vikas Bansal, Head of International Solar, Sterling & Wilson
Michael Geyer, Senior Advisor for Solar Power and Energy Storage, German Aerospace Center
Imran Syed, Head of Industrial Power, Enerwhere
Deepak Gera, Senior Project Development Manager, Jinko Power
Moderator: Belen Gallego, Chief Executive Officer, ATA Insights
- Solar receiver supply overview
- Solar receiver technical features
- Main technical challenges
Jean-Michel Wautelet, CMI Solar
Jose Julio Caparros Jimenez, Ghenova
- Gain insight on the latest tenders, operations, plans and understanding secondary market action
- Discuss the future of investment and finance for project development – how have market conditions changed and how will the relationships between developers, DFI’s, banks and government progress
- Assess how renewable energy programmes in North Africa will create a pipeline for suppliers, service and solution providers.
Sherif El Gabaly, CEO, Enara Capital
Rabeaa Fattal, Senior Executive Officer, Swicorp
Donia El-Mazghouny, Partner,Shahid Law Firm
Miguel Arrarás, EMEA Business Development Director, Acciona Energia
Moderator: Rob McNabb, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
- Understand the principles behind green hydrogen as an enabler for decarbonisation of the energy system and sector coupling
- Assess the potential role, application and boundary conditions in for green hydrogen in the MENA region
- Analyse operating pilot projects to develop the framework for commercial uptake
- Answer how commercial green hydrogen uptake can integrate operations between the renewable energy supply chain and neighbouring industries
Olivier Boucat, H2 Energy and Special Projects Director, Air Liquide
Laure Alazet, Renewable Hydrogen, Engie
Mhairi Garcia, Partner, Dentons
Moderator: Prof. Sgouris Sgouridis, Associate Professor, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
- Assess how financial institutions respond and prepare for the new wave of solar projects in the MENA region:
- International and Regional banks: is liquidity available for the MENA region solar growth
- Regional Funds: who is available and where do they want to invest
- International Funds: is MENA their next focus
- Industry developers: how do they see the next 5 years financing requirements
Adeel Rafi, CFA, Head of Financing & Development, GE Renewables MENAT
Massimiliano Vernaleone, Area Manager Partner, Enerray Gulf
Rajit Nanda, Chief Investment Officer, ACWA Power
Robert Harker, Partner, DLA Piper
Anders Paludan-Muller, Investment Director, IFU
Moderator: Ahmed S. Nada, President, MESIA
- Understand the principles behind renewable energy and desalination coupling to understand it's potential in decarbonisation
- Analyse the existing projects on the grounds to identify and overcome the hurdles that have been encountered
- Available technologies for renewables, desalination and energy storage; current and future improvements
- Gain insight on the opportunities for developers and the supply chain in building the first commercial plant
- Define the road map, next steps and framework for the sector to support commercial uptake
Julio de la Rosa, Middle East BD Director Acciona Agua
Jorge Salas, VP Business Development Energy & Water, Abengoa
Moderator: Thomas Altmann, VP Technology, ACWA Power
- Learn new ways of delivering profitable 24/7 power
- Learn about CSP systems that avoid water/steam, molten salts, and HTFs
- Learn how to integrate CSP with PV and storage
- Identify secondary revenue streams use the system’s heat fro desalination, refrigeration, AC, industrial processes, etc.
Bruce Anderson, CEO, 247 Solar
Dr. Juan Valverde García, Virtualmech
Mr. José María Terrés-Nícoli, Principal, Oritia & Boreas
Simone Massaro, CEO, BaxEnergy
Hisham Sumayli, Technology Localization Director, KACARE
Ayman Al Qahtani, Projects Execution Manager, KACARE
- Analyse the Kingdoms renewable energy development strategy to date, what has worked and how can programmes, and frameworks stimulate sector growth
- Discuss the current success of development plans and review how leading experts and thought leaders see the KSA market today
- Assess how renewable energy programmes in KSA will create a pipeline for suppliers, service and solution providers
Dr Andrea Lovato, VP & Head of Renewable Development, ACWA Power
Nabih Cherradi, CTO, Desert Technologies
Christian Ayres, Co-Head EMEA Project Finance, Korea Development Bank
Adel Elsolh, Head of Middle East, Natixis
Mathieu Ablard, VP – Business Development, Engie
Moderator: Iwan Walters, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Day 2:
- Outline the opportunities for commercial and industrial renewables development in respective to differing market conditions across the region
- Assess existing regulation to present the case for future changes by policy makers supporting sector and economic growth
- Explore different mechanisms for development, what comes after net metering for the supply chain
Jeremy Crane, CEO & Co-Founder, Yellow Door Energy
Daniel Zywietz, CEO & Founder, Enerwhere
Laurent Longuet, CEO, SirajPower
Josefin Berg, Solar Manager – Research & Analysis, IHS Markit
Marc Norman, Lawyer, Covington & Burling LLP
Moderator: Dr. Moritz Borgmann, Partner, Apricum
- Assess how rising fuel prices are driving customers to explore alternate long term solutions
- Discuss hybrid solutions including solar and battery increasingly being evaluated across GCC
Arpan Nalwaya, Partner, Synergy Consulting
Michael Gruenenfelder, Regional Director Europe & New Markets, Poyry
Gurmeet Kaur, Partner, Pinsent Mason
Abdullah Sabil Al Bakhshi, Senior Renewable Energy Engineer, RAECO Oman
Director, AMEA Power
Moderator: Sumit Shikhar, Associate Director, Synergy Consulting
Simone Massaro, CEO, BaxEnergy
- Discuss approaches for the region in becoming a manufacturing hub and the future fruition of localised manufacturing
- Analyse the traditional model for local content globally to best understand where a manufacturing hub in MENA will be
- Investigate the risks associated with localised manufacturing for funding, will banks fund projects with equipment from the Middle East and North Africa?
- Answer what is possible for solar, CSP and wind manufacturing and how this is going to be satisfied
Nabih Cherradi, CTO, Desert Technologies
Mohammed Al-Musbeh, Head of Local Content, REPDO
Joaquín Castillo, Executive VP Global Business Development, Acciona Energia
Donia El-Mazghouny, Partner, Shahid Law Firm
Moderator: Raed Bkayrat, Managing Director, CEBC
- Assess the opportunities for PV, CSP and wind in Jordan and prospects for further deployment in 2019
- Review what’s next for the region following regulation changes in the first quarter of 2019
Santiago Pares, ME Business Development Manager, Underwriters Laboratories
Markus Von Haniel, Head of Investment and Project Finance, Alcazar Energy
Vishwanathan Iyer, Head BD, Hybrid and Energy Storage, Sterling & Wilson
Venu Nambiar, CEO, AMEA Power
Moderator: Jeremy Crane, CEO & Co-Founder, Yellow Door Energy
- Gain insight on the project progression with Oman's Amin PV IPP project and 2GW PV project
- Evaluate the significance of petroleum companies advancing Oman’s renewable energy development pipeline
- Assess how future development in Oman will create a pipeline for suppliers, service and solution providers.
Waleed Washahi, Renewable Energy Engineer, Petroleum Development Oman
Ali Juma Al Mashrafi, COO, Muscat Electricity Distribution Company
Brendan Cronin, Head of Management Consulting Middle East, Poyry
Youssef Takki Chebihi, Sales Director Onshore Wind, GE Renewables
Moderator: Raed Bkayrat, Manging Director, Clean Energy Business Council
- Answer what’s in the pipeline for Tunisian renewable energy projects
- Assess what has happened to date and how stakeholders can support new development in the country
Iheb Triki, Director - Private Equity, Swicorp
Marcos Gallego, Director MENA Business Development, Acciona Energia
Antoine Poussard, Managing Partner MENA, Finergreen
- Review the role of CSP in the energy mix and discuss how can hybridisation of CSP with different technologies allow for a renewable 24/7 system
- Assess existing opportunities for CSP development across the region - can the industry expand on successes in Morocco and UAE
- Hear how leading CSP developers have accomplished financial close for record breaking projects
- Evaluate where new substantial activity for CSP development will come from in the region to develop your pipeline
Driss Berraho, Senior Manager Business Development, ACWA Power
Xavier Lara, Executive Director, Empresarios Agrupados
Jayesh De Silva, Business Development, BrightSource Energy
Georgio Akiki, SENER
Moderator: Belen Gallego, Chief Executive Officer, ATA Insights
Oliver Baudson, Managing Director, TSK Flagsol
- Assessment of Government procured and non-Government procured opportunities
- Gain insight on Kuwait's progress with bids for Al-Didbidah Solar Park and commissioning of Shagaya CSP
- Assess how renewable energy programmes from emerging markets will create a pipeline for suppliers, service and solution providers.
Ahmad Alazemi, Private-Sector Projects Department, Ministry of Electricity & Water - Kuwait
Sulaiman Fahad Altaneeb, Projects Engineer, Kuwait National Petroleum Company
Dr Hassan Qasem, General Manager, Alternative Energy Project Co.
Moderator: Raed Sherif, Solar Consultant, Kuwait Oil Company
- Evaluate the key risks in the development and construction of wind projects in MENA
- Review the essential requirements to drive wind projects to completion, including site selection, environmental issues, turbine selection, O&M philosophy
- Understand the challenges and lessons learnt for deploying wind in MENA, including insights on policy, market structure, regulation, financing and more
Rainer Karan, Vice President Mediterranean East, Vestas
Rahul Samsi, Head Business Development - Wind, Sterling & Wilson
Loubna Farabi, Wind Projects Manager, ONEE Branche Electricite
Moderator: Mhairi Main Garcia, Partner, Dentons
If you are interested in Reuters Events: Clean Energy MENA 2020 please contact us:

Rhys Watt
Project Director
Renewables
Reuters Events
+44 20 8078 7259
rhys.watt@thomsonreuters.com