Final Report of the Renewable and Alternative Energies Working Group

On 24 November 2021, the Australia UAE Business Council’s Renewable and Alternative Energies Working Group released their Final Report: Strengthening Alternative and Renewable Energy Pathways: Investment and collaboration opportunities between Australia and the UAE. 

Read the media release announcing the launch of the Final Report here.

Since its establishment in August 2021, the Working Group – co-chaired by Mr Przemek Lupa (Masdar) and Mr Sam Pearce (QIC) – have consulted with industry, academic and government stakeholders from both the UAE and Australia, to inform its Final Report.

The report finds that while Australia and the UAE share a common legacy as energy producing countries, both countries also have the potential to share a common future, one in which both countries can play a significant role in the transition towards renewable and alternative energies.

Download a copy of the Australia UAE Business Council’s Renewable and Alternative Energies Working Group Final Report here (Online PDF 4.9MB | Printable PDF 4.9MB).

The Final Report of the Australia UAE Business Council’s Renewable and Alternative Energies Working Group was presented at Australia Day at GMIS on 24 November 2021 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre and virtually.

View the recording of the presentation at Australia Day at GMIS here (link coming soon).

Renewable and Alternative Energies Working Group Co-Chairs

Mr Przemek Lupa
Head, Development & Investment (Asia Pacific), Masdar

Australia UAE Business Council
Renewable & Alternative Energies Working Group Emirati Co-Chair

As Head, Development & Investment, for the Asia Pacific region, Przemek Lupa is responsible for growing Masdar’s business in Asia (excluding India) and Australia. He joined Masdar in 2019 after heading power operations in Asia and the Middle East for Fluor, a major global engineering firm.

Przemek has been working in the power sector for two decades, predominantly with Engie, a major global energy company. His extensive experience covers both conventional power and renewable energy, and his roles include being country manager for Engie in the Philippines, VP strategy at corporate level, SVP for business development in Asia, and CEO at asset level in the Middle East. His experience touches all key fields of the power sector, including project financing, development, operations and management.

With more than 15 years’ experience in the ASEAN region, Przemek knows the region extremely well and is acquainted with the various countries, market setups, and key players in Asia.

Mr Sam Pearce
Partner, Global Infrastructure Team, QIC

Australia UAE Business Council
Renewable & Alternative Energies Working Group Australian Co-Chair

Sam joined the QIC GI team in May 2020 to build further its asset management capabilities across the energy and utilities businesses. In addition to direct asset management responsibilities, he has sector asset management oversight and will develop further the asset management framework across QIC’s interests in energy and utilities.

Sam has around 31 years of industry experience in the energy and utilities sectors, spanning operations, investment management, corporate development and strategy, and transaction execution responsibilities. He has worked in merchant energy, gas distribution, power generation (gas and renewables), and electricity and gas transmission primarily in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining QIC, Sam held executive and senior management roles at APA Group, Stockland and AGL. Before moving into the energy industry, he was a lawyer at Clayton Utz with transactional, antitrust and corporate finance experience.

He has led multiple cross functional project teams across greenfield energy developments in gas transmission and power generation (renewables and gas), public market M&A as well as multiple trade sales of assets across the energy value chain. In addition to his transactional experience, Sam has led large business units across multiple Australian states in gas distribution and power generation, with primary responsibility for commercial, operational and financial performance, customer relationships and growth.

Members – Renewable and Alternative Energies Working Group

Thank you to the Australia UAE Business Council Working Group on Renewable and Alternative Energies members for their contributions.

Australia UAE Business Council Members

Mariam Al Qubaisi (Etihad)

The Hon Bob Baldwin (Varley Group)

Dr Jean-Francois Hoffmann (Masdar)

Rowan Logie (New Energy Technology)

Stephen Panizza (Federation Asset Management)

Dr Alexander Ritschel (Masdar)

Ellecia Saffron (Maysaffron)

Andrew Smith (Tribe Infrastructure Group)

Ajayan Vinu (University of Newcastle)

Regular Members

Sofia Chahbane (KPMG)

James Nelson (KPMG)

Aaditya Sarna (Abu Dhabi Ports)

Sally Torgoman (KPMG)

Christopher Twomey (Elliott Green Power)