Fourth Ghana Energy Awards honours 24 individuals and companies

The 4th Ghana Energy Awards (GEA) has honoured deserving personalities and companies in the country's energy sector in Accra.

At the climax of the event, the Chief Executive of the Bui Power Authority, Mr Fred Oware, took home the prestigious title of Energy Personality of the Year, with Public Utilities Regulatory Commission's Mami Dufie-Ofori claiming the coveted Female Energy Personality of the Year.

Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority,Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, emerged the CEO of the Year in the power sub-sector while Managing Director of Goil, Mr Kwame Osei Prempeh, topped the petroleum category.

Chaired by the Akwamumanhene of the Akwamu Traditional Area, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, GEA 2020 saw several representatives of government, various heads of organisations and institutions of the sector in attendance.

Economic Counselor at the US Embassy, Hagen Maroney, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ghana, Mr Kim Sungsoo as well as Dorothee Dinkelaker from the German Embassy, Arndt Wierheim, Director KFW and Vanessa Eidt, Portfolio manager of KFW were present to grace the occasion.

Dr Kwame Ampofo, Chairman of the 2020 GEA Awarding Panel noted that the awards scheme was "instituted to recognize the hard work of industry practitioners and reward outstanding ones for meritorious service to the country and its people".

He said the choice of theme for the event: "Excelling in Crisis: the Energy Sector in a COVID-19 Era", was to highlight the "difficult and uncertain physical, emotional and traumatic environment caused by the pandemic that businesses, including those in the energy sector, have had to contend with, and get our country going."

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Energy, John-Peter Amewu, expressed appreciation for the resilience of stakeholders in the sector.

He recounted that the war against the COVID-19 in the energy sector had been jointly waged by the government and the private sector with complementing efforts.

This liaison, he indicated, had resulted in the achievements being celebrated.

He pointed to the poignant interventions made by the government in terms of inter-utility debt servicing, electricity bill subsidies, upgrade of the transmission network, and the proliferation of renewable energy projects across the country.

The 4th Ghana Energy Awards also featured several honorary awards for various efforts toward battling the pandemic.

They included; the Outstanding Initiative Award which went to the Private Sector Fund led by Senyo Hosi, CEO of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), Outstanding COVID-19 Task Force received by the VRA, Women-in-Energy Award to Harriet Amissah-Arthur of Arthur Energy Advisors.

Osagyefo Young Leadership Award went to Michael Bozumbil, CEO of PETROSOL while the Exemplary Leadership Award was scooped by Senyo Hosi, CEO of CBOD.

The Ministry of Energy received the Special Recognition Award for government's Recovery Programme and Free Electricity during COVID-19.

Technology Management Group (TMG) was also honoured for their Outstanding Contribution to Rural Electrification while the Energy Commission received the Leadership Impact in Energy Policy, with Total Petroleum Ghana receiving the honour for Excellence in ICT Adoption for COVID-19 Prevention.

The recognition for COVID-19 Health Safety Security and Environment (HSSE) went to Ghana Gas while the Electricity Company of Ghana received the Outstanding Project for Fighting COVID-19 for the building of the Pantang Treatment Centre.

The 2020 Ghana Energy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on Kweku Andoh Awotwi, Board Chairman of the VRA.

Other award winners included Energy Reporter of the Year - Francisca Dickson Arhin of EIB Network, Emerging Energy Company of the Year - Meinergy Technology Ltd, Brand of the Year – GRIDCo and Corporate Social Responsibility of the Year – VRA.

Others were Innovation Project of the Year - Equator Energy, Clean Energy Initiative of the Year - Bui Power Authority, Off-Grid Energy Solution of the Year- University of Ghana and Energy Institution of the Year- COPEC Ghana.

The rest were Excellence in Power Generation - Sunon Asogli Power, Energy Consultancy Service Organization – ACEP, Energy Company of the Year (Power) – GRIDCo, Energy Company of the Year (Petroleum) - Ghana Gas and Energy Company of the Year (Renewable) - Bui Power Authority.