EGEC announces 5 shortlisted firms for European Geothermal Innovation Award 2017

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has announced the five endorsed nominations for this year’s European Geothermal Innovation Award.

The companies, in alphabetical order, are:

• enOware GmbH (Germany), for the measurement systems to plan, monitor and measure near-surface geothermal probes;
• HakaGerodur AG (Switzerland), for the pressure-resistant borehole heat exchanger (BHE) for difficult geological conditions and applications up to 300m.
• Huisman Well Technology BV (The Netherlands), for the application of the Enhanced Casing Installation (ECI) system in a geothermal well.
• Jansen AG (Switzerland), for the JANSEN shark technology, which reduces the flow resistance in the pipe and results in less pumping power.
• SWM Services GmbH (Germany), for the project to provide 100% renewable energy for the district heating of Munich, including a major contribution by geothermal energy.

“As every year, we have received several impressive nominations, clearly showing that the sector is responding to the current challenges with progress and innovation,” said Ruggero Bertani, Enel Green Power, President of EGEC and member of the jury. “R&D is crucial in identifying new technologies and methods to improve performance, fostering new ideas, and reduce costs. That is why we need to support it and to encourage investments in geothermal sciences, at any level – from engineering, instrumentation, geophysical methods, resource assessment, heat  exchangers, drilling technologies … the list is almost endless!”

The European Geothermal Innovation Award is an initiative from EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council, in collaboration with Messe Offenburg, organisers of the GeoTHERM fair and congress.

Designed as an opportunity for industry peers to acknowledge innovation, and for the most exciting ideas to be widely publicised, the European Geothermal Innovation Award is the seal of excellence applied to the most intelligent and important ideas in research and industry which will play a key role in the future development of geothermal energy. Nominations for the award are assessed on grounds of originality, innovation, reliability, reduction of emissions, and improvements in energy output.

The jury for 2017 is composed of Ruggero Bertani (Italy), Adele Manzella (Italy), Sandra Kircher (Messe Offenburg), Pierre Ungemach (France), and Javier Urchueguia (Spain).

The Jury will now deliberate to select an overall winner which will be announced on 15 February 2017 at the GeoTHERM expo & congress in Offenburg (Germany).

Source: EGEC by email