#AUW2016: All the winners at the African Utility Week Industry Awards

The winners of these prestigious industry awards in 11 different categories were announced at the gala dinner that took place on Wednesday evening, 18 May, during the annual African Utility Week at the CTICC in Cape Town.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Yumkella, UN under-secretary-general and former special representative of the secretary-general and CEO, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All), said upon winning the award:“I know the energy revolution is powering up and ready to take off. We saw again this week that we have the technology and the innovation. Sometimes we are too suspicious of each other, we should embrace energy trade with each other.”

Kandeh Yamkella receives his Lifetime Achievement Award

Utility of the Year

City Power won the award in recognition of the utility’s flagship Solar Water Heating Programme in which approximately 70,000 low-income households around Johannesburg were fitted with solar water geysers over a period of three years.

Power Utility Executive of the Year

Albert Mugo, MD and CEO KenGen, Kenya is executing a strategy of least cost power development options in order to provide reliable, safe and competitively priced energy to the nation.

Water Utility of the Year

In 2015, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda cemented its position as a key player in the water sector both on the local and international scene.

It undertook transformational changes in its operational and geographical mandate, providing new and home grown solutions to water service provision challenges and highlighting its contribution towards the National Vision of transforming Uganda from a peasant to a self-sustaining economy.

Water Utility Executive of the Year

Philip Gichuki, managing director of Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, has over the years promoted the objective of the water sector in Kenya in improving access to water and sewerage services for all under a conducive environment for the consumers, communities, partners and staff working in the sector.

Clean Energy Project of the Year

The Akon Lighting Africa Initiative is implementing an innovative solar-powered solution that is providing African villages with access to a clean and affordable source of electricity. Since launching, the group has operations in 15 nations, including Guinea Conakry, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Benin and Sierra Leone and is covering over 480 communities.

Pioneer in Project Finance

The Development Bank of Southern Africa has developed an innovative financing instrument to support local parties and communities to acquire equity stakes in companies. The success of the business model is that the local partners then are included in the overall financing package leading to an overall sustainable financing package.

The model can be replicated and has already been applied to 17 projects with a capacity of 2,100MW.

Community Development Project of the Year

The Noble Power Station is the only high volume, low-maintenance, portable solar-powered water treatment plant of its kind in the world. Each water station provides 500 people with 20 litres of safe drinking water every day.

Future Leader Award

Michael Njoroge, CEO, Multi-link Group, Kenya started his company in April 2010 as a small enterprise focused on the challenges of poor households by supplying clean cooking stoves and solar lanterns to help address the issue of indoor air pollution and also help in environmental conservation and develop grid connected clean energy projects.

Currently Multi-link is completing the development of the 3M 40MW grid-connected solar project in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya. When it connects to the grid in 2017, the project will be the largest grid connected solar project in east and central Africa.

Power/Water Woman of the Year

Phyllis Engefu Ombonyo, director: business development, National Environment Trust Fund, Kenya

Energy/Water Efficiency Project of the Year

George Airport Solar Plant is owned and operated by Airports Company South Africa it has constructed and recently officially opened a solar photovoltaic plant to meet about 41% of its energy demand. The plant was built on 200 square metres of land and has 3,000 photovoltaic modules, 30 inverters and a substation and the plant’s peak production is 750kW.

Innovation Hub Award

Fifteen SMEs, start-ups and young innovators were selected for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the African Utility Week’s Innovation Hub and take their businesses to the next level.

The winner, PowerOptimal, a power demand management technology that is commercially proven in diverse installations such as hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and golf courses.

African Utility Week took at the CTICC in Cape Town from 17-19 May, 2016.