Energy companies from 10 countries spanning four continents tonight received honors for leadership, innovation and exemplary performance at the 22nd annual S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards, often described as the “Oscars” of energy. Actor-comedian-director Jason Alexander of cinema and television fame hosted the virtual event, which bestowed 22 awards upon companies and individuals.
Martin Fraenkel, president of S&P Global Platts: “In a year that was so tumultuous, it was particularly impressive and heartening to see how this year’s group of winners re-organized around obstacles, forged ahead on ground-breaking technology, completed transformative deals and maintained focus on long-term energy sustainability. Tonight’s winners, and finalists, alike, are to be congratulated for their individual and collective accomplishments.”
Dual wins were snagged by ENGIE, of France, Sempra, of the United States, and Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia. ENGIE, the Paris-based multinational electric utility company, walked away with Award of Excellence: Midstream honors and Energy Company of the Year – the latter being the second such win since 2017. The independent panel of judges pointed to ENGIE’s green financing, energy performance consulting, and its bold entrance into emerging markets while continuing expansion in Europe, applauding the company for “staying ahead of the competition.”
A dual win also went to the United States’ Sempra Energy, whose Jeffrey Martin walked away with Chief Executive of the Year, recognized, in particular, for his helmsmanship during the company’s divestiture of its South American assets. Judges further lauded the divestiture by naming it the 2020 Strategic Deal of the Year.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONORS
The 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed to Dawood Al-Dawood, vice president-Northern Area Oil Operations of Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, also this year’s Award of Excellence: Upstream Transformation winner. Al-Dawood is known for his ‘decisive nature,” said the judges panel, impressed by his 37-year career in management and technology positions, following his early-years role as a foreman on drilling rigs. The panel points to Al-Dawood’s leadership in the development of Manifa, the world’s fifth-largest oil field at the time, and for setting records for extended-reach wells while also protecting the fragile marine environment.
COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO WATCH
Star Scientific of Australia, with its 25-year history as a research company specializing in muon-catalyzed fusion, a type of cold fusion, and its expertise in hydrogen, was awarded Emerging Technology of the Year, for its Hydrogen Energy Release Optimizer (HERO), which enables the use of hydrogen and oxygen to create energy and water.
Rising Star: Individual went to Colette D. Honorable, partner at Reed Smith, LLP, of the United States, for her role in elevating the global conversation on clean energy and climate change, as well as championing diversity and inclusion in energy and law.
Taking Rising Star: Company was Aurora Solar of the United States, who facilitates the creation and installation of accurate solar designs remotely. Judges were impressed by the company’s growth potential and the more than 3.5 million solar projects that Aurora Solar software has been used to design.
Honoring the CEO of a company with assets under $10 billion, this year’s Chief Trailblazer award was bestowed to US-based Chart Industries’ Jillian Evanko. Judges lauded Evanko for overseeing the company’s “striking growth” and “impressive financial performance” amid its “extensive progress” in repositioning to be a leader in the clean energy transition by expanding its presence in LNG, hydrogen, biogas/biomethane, carbon capture and other renewable fueling sources.
Jenny Salinas, vice president and head of global marketing and conferences, S&P Global Platts, said: “This year’s celebration was truly unique, with its first-ever virtual uniting of more than 550 industry and other participants worldwide, the commonality of overcoming pandemic challenges around the globe and the energy industry’s giveback, including S&P Global Platts’ $250,000 donation to food banks of the host cities of our twin events, the Global Energy Awards and the Global Metals Awards.”
