Zayed Future Energy Prize, the award for innovation and development of solutions for renewable and sustainable energy, has opened nominations for the 2012 global competition.

Nomination forms and registration are located ZayedFutureEnergyPrize.com.

“By honouring the development of new technologies, and their market adoption, our goal is to play a unique role in advancing energy security and sustainability around the world,” said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, director general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize.

“We invite the global energy community to join us in recognizing outstanding achievement by submitting nominations for the 2012 competition,” he added.

Submissions will be judged on four main criteria: impact, long-term vision, leadership, and innovation in the following categories:

• SMEs & NGOs. Nominees will have made a clear impact, either through disseminating a particular solution in the field, furthering knowledge, awareness, policy development or through technology. Three prizes will be awarded: $1.5 million to the overall winner; $1 million to the first runner-up; and $500,000 to the second runner-up.

• Large corporations. Nominees will have exhibited business success and leadership, as well as a clear vision for the long-term future of energy, and a coherent, sustainable strategy for its own role in this future. The winner will receive a Special Recognition Award.

• Individual lifetime achievement. Nominations are open to individuals from academic, political, technological, business or other fields in renewable energy sustainability who are identified leaders and committed to raising awareness and supporting energy policy development.  The winner will receive $500,000.

Also, in a move designed to signal the on-going development of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, a fourth category will be introduced in 2012 – an International High School Education Competition with a prize purse of $500,000 to be first awarded in 2013.

In the last three years, nominations have increased from 204 in 2009, to 959 in 2011. – TradeArabia News Service