GWEC welcomes ACWA Power as a board level member

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) is pleased to welcome ACWA Power as its latest board level member. ACWA Power is a developer, investor and operator of wind, solar and conventional power generation with 54 assets in operation, construction or advanced development across 11 countries. 

Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC, said: “We are thrilled to welcome ACWA Power as a GWEC Board Member, as we look to accelerate the energy transition in the Middle East and Africa where ACWA is a leading player. It is encouraging to see a company such as ACWA Power turn to wind and other renewables, and their history and expertise in the MENA region will be instrumental for the activities of our new Africa Task Force. With projects in high-potential markets such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco, we look forward to working together to further develop these emerging markets”

Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO, ACWA Power said: “With the commitment to reducing the cost and eliminating the carbon content of electricity, ACWA Power has been delivering record breaking tariffs in renewable energy in MENA region and beyond. We look forward to partnering with GWEC and its members to support the meteoric growth of wind power”.

In 2018, GWEC Market Intelligence shows that Africa and the Middle East installed 962MW of onshore wind power capacity, an increase of more than 300 MW compared to 2017. The surge for wind in the region is expected to continue, with GWEC forecasting over 6.5 GW of new wind capacity to be installed by 2023.