Zayed Future Energy Prize seeks to enhance submissions from African Clean Energy sector for 2014

Abu Dhabi, May 22, 2013 (WAM) - As part of its outreach campaign to increase the number and quality of submissions from the African continent, the Zayed Future Energy Prize participated at the Clean Power Africa conference at African Utility Week in Cape Town, South Africa, from 14th - 15th May, 2013. Submissions for this year's edition are open until 5th August for all five categories of the Prize, including large corporations, small and medium enterprises (SME), non-governmental organisations (NGO), individual lifetime achievement and global high schools. Last year, the Energy Prize organisers received 54 submissions from Africa, with the Kirya Secondary School in Tanzania emerging as winners of the US$100,000 Global High Schools Prize for the Africa region. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: "Africa represents a large growth potential in the renewable energy sector, and is consequently a key outreach market for the Prize. The continent's estimated population is expected to double by 2050. This would make it imperative for total energy production to grow exponentially in order to meet escalating demand. Renewable energy offers a cost-effective solution especially in remote, off-grid areas and can also be efficiently utilised for extending electrification grids. Through the Zayed Future Energy Prize, we are keen to encourage and reward organisations, schools and individuals seeking renewable energy solutions across the continent. Accelerating sustainable development across the world will enable us to honour the legacy of our late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the namesake of the Prize, who prioritised sustainable living across all spheres of life." Represented by its Director, Dr Nawal Al-Hosany, the Zayed Future Energy Prize engagement included a brief address to the conference attendees. Dr Al-Hosany explained the Prize's mandate and objectives - emphasising that the Prize is part of a larger initiative toward diversifying the energy mix by the UAE government. She also chaired a panel discussion entitled Addressing Africa's Energy and Water Needs - Where Do We Begin.' Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company that manages the Zayed Future Energy Prize, recently inaugurated a 15-megawatt solar photo-voltaic (PV) power plant in Nouakchott, Mauritania, the largest solar power installation in Africa. The project is the first utility-scale solar power installation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and accounts for 10 percent of Mauritania's grid capacity. African Utility Week, which includes a Power and Water Exhibition and the Clean Power Africa Conference, brought together over 5,000 experts from the power and water utilities industry, as well as senior policy makers and government officials, including the Minister of Energy for South Africa, Elizabeth Dipuo Peters, and member of the Zayed Future Energy Prize jury. Winners of the sixth edition of the Prize will be announced at the Zayed Future Energy Prize awards ceremony scheduled for 20th January, 2014 as part of the annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. – Emirates News Agency, WAM