Interview with Zenith Energy’s CEO Andrea Cattaneo18 Mar 2026 10:20
From Dolmaune on the Oslo forum.
"Interview with Zenith Energy’s CEO Andrea Cattaneo"
"I have said publicly that we approach the hearings with well-grounded optimism, and that remains my position."
Zenith Energy is heading into what many would describe as a defining year. As you look at 2026, what are the most important priorities for the company right now?
2026 is, in my view, the most important year in Zenith’s history so far. I do not say that lightly. The reason is not that we depend on a single event, but that several years of work are now converging into visible milestones across the business.
The immediate priority is execution on three fronts. First, the ICSID arbitration against Tunisia, where the final hearings in April 2026 are the central legal milestone. Second, the Italian solar business, where the focus is on moving projects from development into Ready-to-Build status, financing, and physical construction. Third, the uranium projects in Italy, where the objective is to progress through the VIA process and continue advancing what we believe are strategically important assets.
What matters to me is that these are no longer early-stage ideas. We have filed the final submission on the merits in the ICSID case. We have strengthened the arbitration team with additional senior counsel. We have expanded the Italian solar portfolio materially. We have also moved the first 7 MWp portfolio in Puglia into construction-phase activity, with physical construction targeted for July 2026. So the priority is straightforward: remain disciplined, execute properly, and convert groundwork into milestones the market can see.
The ICSID arbitration against Tunisia, involves a claim of USD 572.65 million. Where does the case stand today, and what does the path to a final award look like?
The claim currently stands at USD 572.65 million. That figure reflects the damages assessment that has been put before the tribunal on behalf of our UK subsidiary claimants. In procedural terms, the case is now well advanced. We submitted the final submission on the merits in September 2025, and the final hearings are scheduled for April 2026.
After the hearings, the process moves into tribunal deliberation and, ultimately, the issuance of an award. I do not think it is responsible to be overly precise on timing at this stage. An award in late 2026 would clearly be given. Arbitration of this scale follows its own timetable.
The point I would emphasise is that Zenith is approaching the final phase with a legal team of unusual depth. Publicly, we have announced the participation of Professor Thomas Clay, Maitres Simon Le Wita and Andrea Pinna, and Essex Court Chambers counsel Ben Juratowitch KC and Matthieu Gregoire. That is a serious legal platform, and we believe our case has been prepared on a robust and technically rigorous basis.
Continued in next post .....
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