African Utility Week Industry Awards looking for the continent’s top energy or water journalist

The fifth annual African Utility Week Industry Awards has added two new categories to honour excellence in energy or water journalism as well as digitally advanced utilities. The awards gala dinner forms part of the African Utility Week conference and expo taking place at the CTICC in Cape Town from 15-17 May and celebrates pioneering utilities, projects and people in the energy and water industry on the continent during 2017/2018.

“The media plays a vital role in the energy and water industries on the continent” says African Utility Week event director Evan Schiff, “not only by its investigative work which exposes the sectors’ challenges and failings, holding stakeholders accountable but also by celebrating the successes and advancements. We invite all journalists who specialise in reporting on energy or water affairs to either nominate themselves or for news and industry organisations to put forward their top choice for the journalist that has covered the sector in an innovative yet objective manner. The category is open to media across the continent.”

Another exciting new category in the African Utility Week Industry Awards is the Digital Utility Award. “The African utility of the future is likely to be a fully digital system”, says Evan Schiff, “entrants for this award are utilities and solution providers who are leading the disruption in the market, maximising utility profitability and adapting business models in the evolving digital environment.”

The deadline for entries is 2 March 2018. More information and entry forms can be found on the event website.

The complete list of 2018 award categories:

Individual Awards:

- Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual for prolonged and consistent achievements who has made a significant contribution to the development and future of the energy or water industries during his or her entire career rather than or in addition to a single contribution.

The nominee can be from a utility, public or private company and should be someone who has helped to achieve strategic advancement of the sectors by proactively sharing knowledge, encouraging the adoption of new technologies or establishing exemplary financial governance practices. This individual is well recognised across the globe for their influence and insight into the energy or water sectors in Africa.

- Outstanding Contribution Award: Power
This award celebrates the accomplishments of an individual in a senior position from a utility, public or private company who has displayed passion and commitment to the power industry, while also demonstrating leadership, vision and success.

- Outstanding Contribution Award: Water
This award celebrates the accomplishments of an individual in a senior position from a utility, public or private company who has displayed passion and commitment to the water industry while also demonstrating leadership, vision and success.

- Outstanding Contribution Award: Young Leader
This award recognises a person under the age of 35 from a public or private company who has made an outstanding contribution to the energy or water sectors. This young professional has had commendable career achievements to date and is already playing a leading role in their sector.

- Energy/Water Reporter of the Year – NEW CATEGORY
This award recognises a professional journalist who produced outstanding work in 2017/18 for the public, either independently or as an employee of an editorially independent news entity through their reporting on the power or water sectors in Africa.

Organisational / Project Awards:

- Power Utility of the Year
This award recognises a power utility in Africa that has excelled in any one or more of the following fields: Service delivery, project roll-out, technology roll-out, revenue protection measures, loss reduction, grid integration and new energy sources, including company contribution to sector growth, demonstrated expenditure reduction, increased capacity to deliver services and revenue collection, completion of infrastructure development or sustainable maintenance projects.

- Water Utility of the Year
This award recognises a water utility in Africa that excels in any one or more of the following: Service delivery, project roll-out, technology roll-out, revenue protection measures, loss reduction, water quality and sanitation solutions, including company contribution to sector growth, demonstrated expenditure reduction, increased capacity to deliver services and revenue collection, completion of infrastructure development or sustainable maintenance projects.

- Grid-Tied Renewable Energy Project (10MW +)
This award is for a project completed by an African utility, off-grid producer, IPP, government or investor between March 2017 and February 2018.

- Small-Scale Sustainable Energy Project (under 5MW)
This award is for a sustainable energy project providing electricity for either a commercial or rural electrification setting that was connected between March 2017 and February 2018.

- Innovative Technology of the Year
This award will acknowledge a business that has achieved commercial success from advanced technology, research or developing products, services, or solutions relevant to the energy or water sectors.

- Deal of the Year
This category will recognise an outstanding energy deal which reached financial closure between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017.

- The Digital Utility Award – NEW CATEGORY
The winner captures the full range of digital opportunities by enhancing connectivity, decision making, automation, and innovation for consumers, customers, and employees.

Award-winning energy platform
The 18th annual African Utility Week will gather over 7000 decision makers from more than 80 countries to discuss the challenges, solutions and successes in the power, energy and water sectors on the continent. Along with multiple side events and numerous networking functions the event also boasts a seven track conference with over 300 expert speakers.

The conference programme will address the latest challenges, developments and opportunities in the power and water sectors: ranging from generation, T&D, metering, technology and water.

The African Utility Week expo offers an extensive technical workshop programme that are CPD accredited, free to attend, hands-on presentations that take place in defined spaces on the exhibition floor. They discuss practical, day-to-day technical topics, best practices and product solutions that businesses, large power users and utilities can implement in their daily operations.

Industry support
Already the event has secured support from leading industry players including Landis+Gyr, Hexing South Africa as platinum sponsors while water expert company Sensus is a gold sponsor.

Dates for African Utility Week:
Conference and expo: 15-17 May 2018
Awards gala dinner: 16 May 2018
Site visits: 18 May 2018
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa

African Utility Week is the flagship energy event organised by the multi-award winning Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and part of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. Other well-known energy events by Spintelligent are Future Energy Nigeria and Future Energy East Africa.

In 2017, African Utility Week was named the joint winner for the AAXO Award for Best Trade Exhibition 6001-12000 sqm category (with the World Travel Market). Co-located to African Utility Week is another AAXO award winner for best confex, the African Real Estate & Infrastructure Summit, an international platform that brings together the full spectrum of the African real estate and infrastructure sectors.

Senior communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.com
Website: http://www.african-utility-week.com
Postal address: PO Box 321, Steenberg, 7947, South Africa

This release was published on openPR.