Nominations are open for top industry professionals and projects  

“I know the energy revolution is powering up and ready to take off. We should embrace energy trade with each other”.  With these words Mr Kandeh Yumkella, UN Under-Secretary-General and Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General and CEO, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All), accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at last year’s African Utility Week Industry Awards.

The fourth edition of the annual African Utility Week Industry Awards will once again honour pioneering utilities, projects and people in the energy and water industry on the continent on Wednesday, 17 May, during African Utility Week and Energy Revolution Africa at the CTICC in Cape Town. Award categories vary from the Power and Water Utility of the Year Awards, Young Energy Leader Award and Outstanding Woman of the Year: Power/Water and include exciting new categories to reflect the latest developments and evolution of the energy and water sectors.  The new categories include:
•   Small-Scale Sustainable Energy Project (under 5MW)
•   Innovative Technology of the Year
•   Deal of the Year
•   ICT Excellence Award
•   Gas-to-Power Project of the Year

Benchmark of excellence
These prestigious industry awards will be presented during a gala dinner welcoming 800 of Africa’s most distinguished power and water industry professionals to recognise those that represent a benchmark of excellence for the industry. Entries for nominations for the awards close on 17 March and the public is invited to nominate themselves or colleagues and projects that have made outstanding contributions to the energy and water sectors.

Johannesburg’s City Power, George Airport and Akon Lighting Africa were also amongst the exciting and pioneering power and water professionals, utilities and projects that were winners at last year’s sold-out awards gala evening, while Uganda’s NWSC won the coveted Water Utility of the Year Award for the third  year in a row.

2017 Award Categories:
Individual Awards:  

Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual for prolonged and consistent achievements who has made a significant contribution to the development and future of the energy/water industries during his or her career.   The nominee can be from a utility, public or private company and should be someone who has helped to achieve strategic advancement of the sectors by proactively sharing knowledge, encouraging the adoption of new technologies or establishing exemplary financial governance practices. This individual is well recognised across the globe for their influence and insight to the energy or water sectors in Africa.  

Outstanding Contribution Award: Power
This award celebrates the accomplishments of an individual in a senior position from a utility, public or private company who has displayed passion and commitment to the power industry, while also demonstrating leadership, vision and success.  

Outstanding Contribution Award: Water This award celebrates the accomplishments of an individual in a senior position from a utility, public or private company who has displayed passion and commitment to the water industry while also demonstrating leadership, vision and success.  

Outstanding Woman of the Year: Power/Water     
This award celebrates a woman in the power/water industries for outstanding achievements who has made a contribution to and impact on the sector, whether from a utility, public or private company.      

Young Energy Leader Award
This award recognises a person under the age of 35 from a public or private company who has made an outstanding contribution to the energy/water sectors. This young professional has had commendable career achievements to date and is already playing a leading role in their sector.  

Organisational / Project Awards:  

Power Utility of the Year
This award recognises a power utility in Africa that has excelled in any one or more of the following fields: Service delivery, project roll-out, technology roll-out, revenue protection measures, loss reduction, grid integration and new energy sources, including company contribution to sector growth, demonstrated expenditure reduction, increased capacity to deliver services and revenue collection, completion of infrastructure development or sustainable maintenance projects.  

Water Utility of the Year
This award recognises a water utility in Africa that excels in any one or more of the following: Service delivery, project roll-out, technology roll-out, revenue protection measures, loss reduction, water quality and sanitation solutions, including company contribution to sector growth, demonstrated expenditure reduction, increased capacity to deliver services and revenue collection, completion of infrastructure development or sustainable maintenance projects.  

Large Scale Renewable Energy Project (10MW +)
This award is for a project completed by an African utility, off-grid producer, IPP, government or investor.  

Small-Scale Sustainable Energy Project (under 5MW) – NEW CATEGORY

This award is for a connected sustainable energy project providing electricity for either a commercial or rural electrification setting.  

Innovative Technology of the Year – NEW CATEGORY This award will acknowledge a business that has achieved commercial success from energy-focused advanced technology, research or developing products, services, or solutions relevant to the energy sector.  

Deal of the Year – NEW CATEGORY
This category will recognise an outstanding energy deal which reached financial closure between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016.  

ICT Excellence Award – NEW CATEGORY
The ICT Excellence Award provides a platform to recognise utilities from across Africa that have utilised ICT technology to improve the lives of all its customers as well as the citizens of the country. The award aims to promote successful deployment and application of innovative ICT solutions and services that have contributed improvements in service delivery and utility efficiency.  

Gas-to-Power Project of the Year – NEW CATEGORY
The gas-to-power project of the year award launches in 2017 to recognise those companies who are not only pioneers in the gas to power space but also those who, through innovation and creativity, have contributed to the commercial and industrial development of the country in which they operate and have had a positive societal impact.   For further information on the awards please visit http://www.african-utility-week.com/industryawards  

Leading water and energy platform
African Utility Week takes place from 16-18 May 2017 at the CTICC in Cape Town, gathering over 7000 decision makers in the power and water sectors from more than 40 countries to source the latest solutions and meet over 300 suppliers. The expo will feature free to attend technical workshops and technology demonstrations. The event has won the Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) award for the Best Trade Exhibition 6001-12000 sqm category.

KPMG is diamond sponsor
Already leading global advisory firm KPMG has confirmed that it is returning to African Utility Week, this time as its exclusive diamond sponsorship. Other long-running supporters and industry stalwarts EPG, Landis+Gyr, Ontec and Shell are also back as platinum sponsors while Conlog, Oracle, SAP and Vodacom are gold sponsors again.

Part of the event is Energy Revolution Africa, a new platform for community scale projects, which will provide a unique forum for solution providers to meet with the new energy purchasers such as metros and municipalities, IPPs, rural electrification project developers and large power users, including mines, commercial property developers and industrial manufacturers.

African Utility Week and Energy Revolution Africa are organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include Agritech Expo Tanzania, CBM-TEC, Kenya Mining Forum, Future Energy East Africa (formerly EAPIC), Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy Central Africa (formerly iPAD Cameroon), iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.

Dates for African Utility Week and Energy Revolution Africa:
Conference and expo: 16-18 May 2017
Awards gala dinner:  17 May 2016
Site visits: 19 May 2016
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Websites: http://www.african-utility-week.com    
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilities   
Linkedin: African Power Forum

Contact:
Senior communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
Mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
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