Finalists Announced for Next Week’s African Utility Week Industry Awards in Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa, May 04, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The City of Cape Town, Rand Water, the V&A Waterfront, the outgoing CEO of NERSA Phindile Baleni and several exciting power projects on the continent are just some of the finalists that have been announced for the African Utility Week Industry Awards. Africa’s leading utility, energy and water professionals and projects will be honoured again at the annual African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa that is taking place in Cape Town from 12-14 May and expected to attract more than 5000 visitors and delegates.

These prestigious industry awards will welcome 700 of Africa’s most distinguished power and water industry professionals to recognise those that represent a benchmark of excellence for the industry. Categories vary from Power Utility of the Year Award, Clean Energy Project of the Year to Municipality of the Year, which the City of Cape Town won last year. A new category this year is the Outstanding Woman in Power/Water Award.

The esteemed panel of judges that will decide on the winners include:
- Brian Dames, former Eskom CEO, South Africa
- Sam Amadi Chairman & CEO, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigeria
- Musara Beta, Chief Market Analyst, Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Zimbabwe
- Peter Mtonda, Director of Distribution & Customer Services, ESCOM, Malawi
- Ayanda Nakedi, Senior General Manager, Renewables Business Unit, Eskom, South Africa
- Alex Osei, GM, Management, Information Systems, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana

The finalists are:

Lifetime Achievement Award
• Albert Butare, CEO, Africa Energy Services Group Ltd, Rwanda
• David M Mwangi, Energy Consultant, Power Africa, Kenya
• Don Taylor, Prepayment, Distribution Systems and Standardisation - Retired, previously employed by ITRON Energy - Subject Matter Expert (SME), South Africa
• Hamanth Kasan, General Manager Scientific Services, Rand Water, South Africa
• Jacob Kow Mensah, Sustainable Energy & Environment Project, Clean & Alternative Energy Researcher/Inventor, Ghana
• Lawrence Musaba, Coordination Centre Manager, Southern African Power Pool, Zimbabwe

African Utility Executive of the Year
• Bassey Nkamado - President & CEO - N Squared Integrated Electric Company Ltd, Nigeria
• Ben K Chumo – CEO - Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited, Kenya
• Charles Chapman – Former Managing Director, Umeme, Uganda
• Sicelo Goodwill Xulu - Managing Director of City Power/ President of the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities of Southern Africa, AMEU, South Africa
• William Amuna - Chief Executive, Ghana Grid Company, Ghana
• William Hutton-Mensah - Former Managing Director, Electricity Company of Ghana and Director of Distribution, Ministry of Power, Ghana

African Power Utility of the Year
• Electricity Company of Ghana Limited, Ghana
• GRIDCo, Ghana
• KenGen, Kenya
• Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd, Nigeria
• Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited, Uganda
• Umeme, Uganda

African Water Utility of the Year
• Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya
• National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda
• Nyeri Water & Sewerage Company, Kenya
• Rand Water, South Africa

Municipality of the Year
• City of Cape Town, South Africa
• Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
• eThekwini Municipality, South Africa
• Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Energy/Water Efficiency Project of the Year
• Environment House, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa
• Project SWATT, Ackermans, & UGU Engineering Solutions, South Africa
• V&A Waterfront, South Africa
• V&A Waterfront – No.1 Silo, South Africa

Clean Energy Project of the Year
• 280MW Olkaria Geothermal Power Expansion Project, KenGen, Kenya
• Black River Park Office – North Park, South Africa
• Jasper Solar Project, SolarReserve LTD, South Africa
• Kaxu Solar One, Abengoa Solar, South Africa
• Rwanda Field Plant, Gigawatt Global Rwanda, Rwanda

Outstanding Woman in Power/Water
• Florence Nsubuga, Executive Director, UMEME, Uganda
• Irene Margaret Nafuna – Muloni, Minister of Energy & Mineral Development, Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development, Uganda
• Phindile Baleni, Outgoing CEO, NERSA, South Africa
• Sarah M. Tibatemwa, Regional Director, IWA Africa
• Sariel Etwire, Manager Metering/ AMR Project Manager, Electricity Company of Ghana Limited, Ghana

African Community Project of the Year
• Backyarder Electrification Programmes, City of Cape Town , South Africa
• Bokpoort CSP project, ACWA Power, South Africa
• Devergy Energy, Devergy, Tanzania
• iShack Project, The Sustainability Institute, South Africa
• Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), Coca Cola, South Africa

Collaboration of the Year
• 400Kv overhead transmission line, Kenya Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd & DNV GL, Kenya
• Backyard Essential Services Improvement Programme, City of Cape Town & GIBB, South Africa
• Competitive Market Trading Platform, South African Power Pool, Zimbabwe
• Global Energy Transfer Feed-in Tariff (GET FiT), Ugandan Government, Deutsche Bank, World Bank, KfW, Uganda
• Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project, Zambezi River Authority, Zambia

Sponsors for the awards include Powertech, Accenture, Lucy Electric, Kamstrup, DNV GL, GEL, ESI Africa and Zest.

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.

African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa dates and location:
Exhibition & Conference: 12-14 May 2015
Industry awards: 13 May 2015
Site Visits: 15 May 2015
Location: CTICC, Cape Town