Abu Dhabi - UAE: 06 September 2014 – Following a record number of submissions for its seventh year, the Zayed Future Energy Prize completed the second phase of the annual evaluation cycle, after two days of deliberations by the Review Committee.
The committee met on Monday and Tuesday (September 1-2) to shortlist 49 submissions from the Prize four categories Large Corporation, Small and Medium Enterprise, Non-Governmental Organisation and Global High Schools and 10 nominations for the Lifetime Achievement award.
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Director General of the Zayed Future Energy Prize said “The Prize continues to mobilise the UAE leadership’s vision for global energy security and energy access. Both the influx and exceptional calibre of entries received for the 2015 award are a testimony to its growing attraction. Our committee members are entrusted with the responsibility to identify submissions and nominations which reflect the Prize’s vision and mission. This is a challenging task on the path to recognising and rewarding those at the forefront of renewable energy and sustainability.”
Following the initial shortlist by the Prize’s due diligence partner Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the Review Committee assessed the 85 submissions and 20 nominations using a scoring matrix, weighted according to the Prize’s four criteria: impact, innovation, leadership and long-term vision.
The Chair of the Review Committee, Dr. Saif Al-Nasseri, commented, “It has been a very productive two-day session. The high calibre of entries has made it very hard to develop a shortlist this year. As the Prize has grown in global recognition, we have seen an increase in key global players from the fields of renewable energy and sustainability bidding for this year’s award. Having a diverse panel of expertise has enriched the Committee’s discussions on each submission. It will certainly make challenging work for the Selection Committee.”
For the third phase of the evaluation cycle, the Selection Committee will meet on September 16 - 17 to prepare the shortlisted finalists for the Jury, who select the winners in October 2014.
The Review Committee is an established panel of energy experts in renewables and sustainability. Chaired by Dr. Saif Al-Nasseri, Director, Gas Processing, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the Review Committee includes Vice-Chair, Dr. Thani Al-Zeyoudi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Director of Energy and Climate Change at Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Fozeya Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Director, Environmental Outreach Division, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD); Rashed Khalifa Al Shaali, Director of Energy Conservation and Efficiency Department, Ministry of Energy; Dr. Abdulla Ismail Alzarouni, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Assistant to the President, Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai; Mohamed Al Bader, Investment Manager, Masdar Capital; Eng. Rashed Al Dhaheri, Head, UAE Egypt Task Force (ETF), Office of the Minister of State; Sami Khoreibi, Chief Executive Officer, Enviromena Power Systems; Philip Moss, Senior Advisor, Mana Ventures; Ghislaine Kieffer, Analyst, Policy Unit, IRENA; Gayatri Raghwa, Senior Specialist, Outreach, EAD; Eng. Eiman Abdullah Al-Marzouqi, Planning Section Manager, Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC); Dr. Ken Volk, Outreach Manager, Public Affairs, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MI); Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis, Associate Professor, Engineering Systems and Management, MI; Daye Eom, Research Assistant, Engineering Systems and Management, MI; and Reem Ketait, Alumna, MI.