Patrick Cnubben poses in front of model solar panels and pipelines at a technical university in Groningen. Dubbed 'the architect' of the HEAVENN Hydrogen Valley, Cnubben (57) is a long-time energy expert focusing on green energy. 

Cnubben is the director of hydrogen strategy at the New Energy Coalition. For years his organisation has been seeking ways to help the northern provinces of Drenthe and Groningen, which has been rocked over the decades by earthquakes induced by gas extraction, to find alternative ways to power the economy.