HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT
Eni Award 2019
The Eni Award ceremony took place today at the Palazzo del Quirinale in the presence of the President
of Italy Sergio Mattarella, Eni Chairman Emma Marcegaglia and CEO Claudio Descalzi. The Award,
established in 2007 and now in its 12th year, is also known as the “Nobel Prize for Energy” and has
over the years become an internationally recognised award for research in the energy and environment
sectors. The Eni Award aims to promote better use of energy sources and encourage new generations of
researchers in their work. The award also demonstrates the importance Eni places on scientific research
and innovation.
T
he Energy Transition award is one of
the top three prizes and rewards the
best innovations in using hydrocarbons to
decarbonize the energy system. This year, it was
presented to James A Dumesic, of the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, who has developed
innovative catalytic processes for converting
biomass fuels and chemical products, increasing
yield by optimising reaction conditions. One of
the new processes he has developed is converting
a sugar – fructose – into compost, from which
biomaterials can be obtained and used as an
alternative to common plastic materials sourced
from fossils.
The Energy Frontiers award for research into
renewable energy sources and energy storage
was given to Michael Aziz and Roy Gordon
at Harvard University. They have developed a
new type of battery that is particularly useful
for the safe and convenient storage of energy
from intermittent renewable sources such as
solar and wind, and its subsequent delivery over
long periods of time. The new battery chemistry
uses organic molecules dissolved in water,
comprising abundant and inexpensive elements
that can store energy.
Finally, the Advanced Environmental Solutions
award is dedicated to research into protecting the
air, water and earth, and reclaiming industrial
sites. It was presented this year to Paul Chirik, of
Princeton University, whose research was in the
field of catalysis. Metals like iron and cobalt can
be used to replace the noble metals (platinum,
rhodium, palladium, etc.) in catalytic reactions
in the pharmaceutical industry and consumer
products, with benefits for business and the
environment. Chirik recently discovered
that the iron catalysts he has developed can
recycle butadiene, clearing the way for future
developments in mitigating the environmental
impact of traditional plastics.
Eni awards for young researchers
The Young African Talents award, established
in 2017 on the 10th anniversary of Eni Award
and given to young talent from the African
Continent, was presented to Emmanuel
Kweinor Tetteh of the Durban University of
Technology and Madina Mahmoud of the
American University in Cairo.
Tetteh assessed a process that combines
innovative photocatalysts with biological
treatment systems for waste water, at the same
time converting CO2 into fuel. Mahmoud’s
work focusses on preparing innovative
membranes to treat water from production.
The Young Researcher of the Year award is
presented every year to two researchers under
the age of 30 who have received a research
doctorate from an Italian university. It was
won this year by Alberto Pizzolato and Matteo
Monai. Pizzolato, from the Politecnico di
Torino, has designed and developed innovative
computational methods for the generation of
high-performance, low-cost, high-durability
energy devices. The devices are created using
special optimisation algorithms that mean
they can automatically evolve in complex
and efficient architectures. Monai is from
the University of Trieste and has presented
research into developing nanostructured
catalysts based on non-noble– and therefore
cheap – metal alloys, for use in the energy
sector, especially for converting biomass fuels
and chemical products.
The Recognition for Innovation awards
for research by Eni’s employees were
simultaneously presented for: systems to
increase the safety and performance of drilling
operations; the testing of an efficient gyro
converter that makes it possible to transform
the motion of the waves into energy; the
development of software agents based on
machine-learning technology to optimise
crude oil production and predict operational
problems in plants by using advanced artificial
intelligence and negotiation techniques. •
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