Mr. Harry Stokes has developed, funded and managed Project Gaia to improve the health, economic status and quality of life of a significant number of families in the developing world. Harry has led a global initiative that promotes alcohol fuel and their technologies for production and end use, for cooking and other household appliances.
The World Bioenergy Award was presented for the second time, this year by Energy Minister Anna-Karin Hatt together with Kent Nyström of World Bioenergy Associatio and the initiator of the award, Jakob Hirsmark of Elmia, both of whom were members of the jury.
The vision is clean, efficient, affordable and safe cooking for African homes, and the opportunity to move away from dependence on perennially scarce firewood, charcoal, dung, twigs, grass and similar fuels.“Harry Stokes was one of the finalists also in 2010. The scope of his achievements is vast, and there are several dimensions to the benefits of helping developing communities rely more on clean, renewable and domestic fuels,” says Kent Nyström, president of WBA and member of the jury.
An award for an individual who has made a difference
The World Bioenergy Award is an award for an individual who has made a difference: a business leader, politician or researcher who in a crucial way has furthered the development of the bioenergy sector. The award is a sign that the achievements of this person are of outstanding importance to the field of bioenergy utilisation.
The award, comprising a statuette and diploma, will be presented on 29 May at the opening session of the World Bioenergy conference and exhibition at Elmia in Jönköping, Sweden. After being honoured, the winner will be expected to give a short speech about her/his achievements in the bioenergy field to the attending media.
The six final candidates for the World Bioenergy Award 2012
We are happy to present the six final candidates for the World Bioenergy Award 2012. They are entrepreneurs, researchers and government officials from three continents and represent complementary parts of the international bioenergy sector.
The final candidates in alphabetical order are:
Mr. Al Costa, Spain
Mr. Costa and Alkol are engaged in the development of a new sugarcane variety which will be planted in the south of Spain. This variety is able to produce up to 200 tons of biomass per hectare, which is over 5 times the usual 40 tons which are obtained from the usual forest sources employed today. Also, it does not compete for land, as it can grow under minimal conditions, as it only produces 7% sugar and thus consumes very little water.
Sugarcane can be used for a wide array of products. Besides ethanol and sugar, its bagasse has over 55% of cellulose and is being actively researched as a source of cellulosic ethanol. Also, it has a high calorific value and low ash content, thus being a great feedstock for pellets or direct energy conversion. It can also generate methanol, furfural, etc.
Mr. Aditya Handa, India
Mr. Handa is the founder of the Abellon Group, and the driving force behind establishing bioenergy as a sustainable energy source, and contributing to nation building especially in emerging economies such as India and Ghana.
Some of his key achievements include: Dedicated energy plantations on marginal land, which reduces the impact of climate change through enhanced green cover and carbon sequestration, as well as income and employment opportunities for rural communities. Promoting innovations at grass roots level such as the development of an eco-friendly solid biofuel based community cooking stove, to address critical issues such as human health, hygiene in the kitchen, and safety concerns. Investment in research and development with a view to scaling up the contribution of bioenergy to the renewable energy mix, with initiatives such as biomass characterization and pretreatment technologies, liquid biofuels research, and development of special species of energy crops for higher productivity.
Mr. Timur Ivanov, Russia
Mr. Ivanov has led the Russian Energy Agency to work hard for bioenergy development in Russia. The basis was developed for multiple implementations of the bioenergy projects in the feasible areas including methodical, legislative and technological support and finance instruments. The State Program of Renewable energy and Bioenergy Development has been introduced together with the Concept of State Support Measures to facilitate bioenergy investment projects and regional development programs on bioenergy in Russia.
International cooperation was also advanced including establishment a series of international joint ventures starting with the Russian-Chinese Green Energy Corporation, aimed at bioenergy projects implementation in Russia.
Mr. Robert Parker, United Kingdom
Mr. Parker is CEO of TMO Renewables, a global technology provider for cellulosic ethanol production with a focus on waste feedstock. Robert has been a pivotal figure in reducing the price of cellulosic ethanol to drive mainstream adoption via a multiple feedstock technological platform. Robert has been a leader in taking cellulosic bioethanol from theory to reality by overseeing the creation of a demonstration unit.
Under his leadership, TMO finalized a 20-year deal to develop fifteen ethanol plants across the US. Robert has also been integral in establishing partnerships with the two largest Chinese ethanol producers to develop the first industrial scale (+30,000 tons) cellulosic ethanol plants in China. Recently, Robert worked a memorandum of understanding with the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil to produce cellulosic ethanol from sugar cane bagasse and trash. Robert has also worked to develop an exclusive partnership with Green World Fuels in Russia to develop 10 ethanol plants focusing on municipal solid waste in the next ten years.
Mr. Dilip Ranade, India
Dr Ranade at Agharkar Research Institute is a society oriented scientist working on biohydrogen, biogas, and waste water treatment. He has spent around 30 years of research on bioenergy and handled numerous research projects funded by government agencies and industries. He is a pioneer in the field of anaerobic microbiology and has worked on nearly all the biodegradable wastes in India and explored their conversion into biogas.
The potential for biogas production is very large, especially in India and other Asian, African and Latin American countries, due to rich agricultural production and the different byproducts from agriculture and food production. Producing biogas from available biomass and organic waste has double benefits by producing biofuel and generating organically rich manure for farming. High-rate anaerobic processes will be demanded.
Mr. Harry Stokes, USA
Mr. Stokes has developed, funded and managed Project Gaia to improve the health, economic status and quality of life of millions of families in the developing world. For over a decade Harry has led a global initiative that promotes alcohol fuel and their technologies for production and end use, for cooking and other household appliances such as ovens and refrigerators.
The vision is clean, efficient, affordable and safe cooking for African homes, and the opportunity to move away from dependence on perennially scarce firewood, charcoal, dung, twigs, grass and similar fuels. The alcohols are also cleaner and safer than petroleum fuels and more environmentally benign.
Harry has encouraged many young African professionals to become advocates for clean fuels. Full time careers on clean fuel and its technologies have been developed in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda and elsewhere by Harry's initiative. Haiti and Nicaragua have recently been added to the list of countries with programs.
The winner will be presented on 29 May
A jury consisting of the board members of the World Bioenergy Association and the exhibition manager of World Bioenergy decide who of the nominated professionals the final candidates for the award are, and vote for who of them will be the winner.
The winner is then presented in the opening session of the World Bioenergy Conference and Exhibition 2012 on the 29 May at Elmia in Jönköping, Sweden. The statuette and diploma will be delivered by Kent Nyström, president of World Bioenergy Association, and Jakob Hirsmark, initiator of the World Bioenergy Award.
The World Bioenergy Award 2012 is a collaboration between
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