First published on the Cleantech Investor website, 21 September 2011

The Brazilian wind energy auctions were recognized as the Landmark Renewable Deal of the Year at the 2011 Euromoney Renewable Energy Finance Awards last night. Brazil has held a series of energy auctions, including dedicated wind energy auctions. This year it held an auction in which wind competed head to head against fossil fuels – resulting in wind energy being contracted at prices below those for natural gas.

The award, which was received on behalf of Brazil by Daniel Costa Fernandes, the head of the commercial section of the Brazilian Embassy in London, recognizes deals with what is described as the ‘wow’ factor. The award was presented by Jamie Fergusson of IFC who commented that the deals nominated “continue to prove that over time renewable energy can evolve into a market that shows cohesion and strength through its ability to innovate, challenge and persevere”. Other deals nominated included the Shepards Flat offshore wind farm financing and funding rounds by BrightSource and Next Era.

The awards ceremony took place at a cocktail reception following the first day of the annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum in London. Delegates voted at the event for the Landmark Deal category – and the Brazilian auction system won by a large margin. Other deals nominated included the Shepards Flat offshore wind farm financing and funding rounds by BrightSource and Next Era. The landmark deal was awarded to the Crown Estate for the Pentland Firth tidal energy round last year.

Nominations are now invited for the LowCVP’s second Low Carbon Champions Awards which will be presented at a gala reception to take place on November 14 at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster. The deadline for nominations for these prestigious Awards is Friday 30 September.

2011-02-25

Serial entrepreneur Stephen Voller's newest cleantech company, Cella Energy, was the winner of this year's Shell Springboard Award. Voller previously founded fuel cell company Voller Energy, which was at one point listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market. Cella, his latest venture, also focuses on a hydrogen. Cella Energy has developed a micro-bead nanotechnology hydrogen storage technology and is developing applications in the transport industry. Voller says the £40,000 prize will enable Cella to scale up its technology "to an industrial scale".

First published on the Cleantech Investor website, January 2011

The Rushlight Awards 2010 were celebrated at a dinner at Church House Westminster last Thursday. Guest speaker at the event was Prof Sir John Beddington, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, who spoke about his analysis of the "Perfect Storm" which is brewing as the result of a combination of population growth and poverty alleviation. (Beddington predicts that food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy resources may result it public unrest, cross-border conflicts and mass migration by 2030.) He also spoke about his dealings with Government and the challenge of climate change.

The overall Rushlight Award Winner this year was Diverse Energy. The award goes to "the most significant project, product, service, technology, innovation or initiative that has had and has the potential to have in the future the largest impact in reducing the embedded environmental footprint of current society’s activities". Diverse Energy, which was also the winner in the category for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (the award for the most significant achievement towards the commercial development and exploitation of fuel cells or hydrogen), has created the PowerCube - an energy source for Mobile Network Operators and OEMs seeking to reduce cost and CO₂ emissions associated with power generation for off-grid telecoms towers. The full list of the winners of the various Rushlight Awards categories is set out below: