ABB announces its technology journalism award winners

Chris Yelland (left) and Renay De Witt (right)

Chris Yelland, editor of Energize journal is the winner of the ABB Technology Journalist of the Year Award for his article entitled "Reneging on renewables?" Yelland's article is about the solar off-grid electrification programme of the Department and Minerals and Energy (DME), aimed at bringing electricity to some of the most remote and inaccessible rural areas of South Africa.

Renay De Witt, a special projects writer from Engineering News, won the ABB Technology Journalism Development Award for her article entitled "1968 trendsetter in billion-rand face-lift", which focuses on the refurbishment of Eskom's Arnot power station.

ABB's head of Corporate Communications, Chesney Bradshaw, says the competition is aimed at encouraging excellence in the craft of technology reporting and the development of young journalists in this field.

"The competition aims to support the development of talented technology journalists in South Africa who cover the energy and industrial automation fields," says Bradshaw.

Adjudication for the competition was done independently with a technology research institute, a former editor of South Africa's leading business daily (also former Financial Times correspondent and mining engineer) and a senior representative of the South African government's Science and Technology ministry.

To further this development, the winners will attend ABB's International Technology Day in Sweden on 3 November 2004, where they will be exposed to the latest in power and automation technologies. The ABB Technology Journalist of the Year Award winner will receive a cash prize of $1000 and the ABB Technology Journalism Development Award winner will receive a cash prize of $500.

For copies of the winning articles, visit ABB South Africa's website at www.abb.com/za.