10th Eni Award 2017 Prizes awarded for scientific research in the field of the energy and the environment

Rome, 5 October 2017 – The award ceremony was held today, at the Palazzo Quirinale, in the presence of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Eni chairman Emma Marcegaglia and chief executive Claudio Descalzi, for the 10^th edition of the Eni Award.

The award is a demonstration of the Eni commitment to innovation and scientific research and, over the years, it has become the internationally recognised Prize for outstanding research works in the fields of the energy and the environment. The award aims at promoting a better use of energy sources as well as stimulating new ideas from the younger generation of scientists. Since its launch in 2007, more than 8,000 candidates have submitted their research projects which have been evaluated by a Scientific Commission including more than 27 Nobel Prize-winners.

Eni believes in young scientists, in their curiosity, in their desire to discover and in the strength of new energy, and, from this year, what has become over the years a “Nobel for Energy” has been expanded and enhanced. Alongside the traditional prize for the Young Researcher of the Year, awarded to the authors of the best PhD theses at Italian Universities, a new Research Debut prize has been added: Young Talent from Africa dedicated to young African graduates.

Among 71 African candidates, prizes were awarded to Blessing Onyeche Ugwoke (Nigeria), for a graduate dissertation and study on the energy efficiency off-grid renewable energy systems in Nigeria, and Yemane Kelemework Equbamariam for his thesis on integrated geophysical investigations of the Main Ethiopian Rift applied to the exploration of geothermal resources. Both projects will be developed, with the support of Eni, in a PhD programme, at the Politecnico di Torino and Federico II University in Naples, respectively.

Among the Young Researchers of the Year awards were given to  Matteo Fasano for his studies into the synthesis of nano-materials for renewable energy, engineering or nano-medicine and Stefano Langé for the development of an innovative process for high CO₂ and H₂S content natural gas purification as a way of making this important source available to support the energy transition and to meet growing demand in the coming decades.

One of the three main prizes was awarded in the category of Energy Transition (innovation in the hydrocarbon sector for the decarbonisation of the energy system), to Robert Schlögl for research in the field of hydrogen and methane production from renewable sources, with particular reference to chemical reaction mechanisms.

The prize for Advanced Environmental Solutions, for research on the protection of air, water and land and the reclamation industrial sites, went to Graham Hutchings for the development of low environmental impact catalysts that can have a range of industrial applications, in particular in the chemical industry.

Finally, the Energy Frontiers Award for research into renewable energy sources and storage was awarded to Jens Nielsen for research on the engineering of microorganisms that open new solutions for the production of fuels and chemical products from renewables.

Details for the 2018 edition of the Award have already been published and are available at: https://www.eni.com/enipedia/it_IT/modello-di-business/premi-e-riconoscimenti/bando-eni-award-2018.page