Company Announcement -Cape Town utility event to gather more than 5000 power professionals. Africa’s leading utility, energy and water professionals and projects are to be honoured again at the annual African Utility Week (AUW) and Clean Power Africa that is taking place in Cape Town from 12-14 May this year. Designed to celebrate the African triumphs and successes of the industry throughout 2014, the industry will be able to nominate candidates for ten award categories in the African Utility Week Industry Awards on 13 May, ranging from Utility Executive to Clean Energy Project of the Year and the new category of Outstanding Woman in Power/Water.

The esteemed panel of judges that will decide on the winners includes Brian Dames, former Eskom CEO, Musara Beta, Chief Market Analyst, Southern African Power Pool, Zimbabwe and Peter Mtonda, Director of Distribution & Customer Services, ESCOM, Malawi.

Awards create excitement in industry
“It is gratifying to see how much excitement these awards have created in the industry” says African Utility Week event director Evan Schiff. He adds: “last year the sold-out, inaugural African Utility Week Industry Awards were the hot ticket of the event and a huge success. Needless to say, there is a lot of interest again from the utility sector to enter for the awards and to attend.”
Last year’s awards evening was attended by some 500 leading executives from across the power, water, renewable energy, finance and investment spheres, and was declared a long overdue addition to what is the largest utility gathering of its kind on the continent. African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa is attended by more than 5000 power and water professionals from more than 30 African countries and 70 worldwide.

“We remain an event for the industry and by the industry”, says Evan Schiff, “and invite all power professionals on the continent again to send us their nominations and we look forward to sharing their triumphs with their peers. Together we will honour those companies and executives who have been responsible for pioneering new frontiers, pushing boundaries, for inspiring others and for achieving growth for Africa.” 

The African Utility Week Industry Awards categories:
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• African Utility Executive of the Year
• African Power Utility of the Year
• African Water Utility of the Year
• Municipality of the Year
• Energy/Water Efficiency Project of the Year
• Clean Energy Project of the Year
• Collaboration of the Year Award
• Outstanding Woman in Power/Water
• African Community Project of the Year
Sponsorship opportunities
So far the leading industry technology and services providers Lucy Switchgear and Accenture have confirmed as award category sponsors, while Zest is hosting the champagne reception at the awards. 
To enter an individual or company for the awards, please go to http://www.african-utility-week.com/awards To book a seat or table at the awards, click here.

The winners of last year’s African Utility Week Industry Awards were:

• Municipality of the Year: City of Cape Town
• Lifetime achievement: Dr Steve Lennon, Group Executive: Sustainability at Eskom
• Community project: Itron, South Africa
• African Collaboration: Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)
• Energy/Water Efficiency: City Power Solar Water Geyser Project in Johannesburg
• Clean Energy Project: The Makeni Project in Sierra Leone. 
• African Power Utility: Genesis Electricity Limited, Nigeria
• African Utility Executive: Cyprian Chitundu, Managing Director, ZESCO, Zambia
• African Water Utility: National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda

Gathering thousands of energy professionals
For the past 14 years, the African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa conference and exhibition has helped to reduce the energy consumption of commercial and industrial large power users and has assisted in African utilities providing electricity and water to all of Africa. The event brings together thousands of utility professionals from across the globe to learn, share knowledge and debate the key topics that will secure the future development of Africa’s power industry. These include energy efficiency, improved service delivery, renewable energy and collaboration across the continent and investment in new power projects. South Africa’s state utility Eskom has been a key partner for many years.

DNV-GL has already confirmed its exclusive diamond sponsorship of the event while Accenture, Building Energy, MarelliMotori and Rubbytad are the platinum sponsors. African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa are organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.