Zayed prize winners to be announced in January

abu dhabi — Voting over, the winners of 2017 Zayed Future Energy Prize (AFEP) were selected on Sunday, but the names will not be disclosed until January 16 when the official ceremony will held during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The jury, though, said it was yet another record year both in terms of entries and the quality. Entries to the ninth edition of the prize reached 1,678 from more than 100 countries worldwide, 22 per cent more than last year.

“In the light of so much conflict and war, to see so many entries and nominations to the prize is a message that the world can change,” said Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, chair of the ZFEP jury and former President of Iceland.

Now in its ninth year, the prize awards a total of $4 million, making it the world’s largest annual prize purse in renewable energy and sustainability. As in previous years, the categories include large corporations, small and medium enterprises ($1.5 millions), non-profit organisation ($1.5 millions), lifetime achievement (individuals only, $500,000) and Global High Schools ($ 500,000), divided among the winners from five different regions — the Americas, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia).

In the small and medium enterprises category, a silicon wafer manufacturer and two innovative energy storage technology businesses are vying for the award.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com