Here are the winners of the Energy Awards Gala 2021 by The Diplomat-Bucharest!

The Diplomat-Bucharest wants to thank all the participants and leaders that joined us last evening at the Energy Awards Gala 2021. Congratulations to all winners for their inspiring leadership, passion, and commitment of Moving the Things Forward!

The 10th Anniversary Edition of the Energy CEO Forum & Awards Gala took place at Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest.

GOLD PARTNERS: Tinmar Energy, EY, Signify, CEZ Group, Engie, EnergoBit, Transgaz, Romgaz, Hidroelectrica, Klarwin;
SILVER PARTNERS: Distributie Energie Electrica Romania, Transelectrica, MET, Sea ON, Innova Project Consulting;
SUPPORTING ASSOCIATIONS: ACUE, ARPEE, EPG, World Energy Council, Asociatia Energia Inteligenta
MEDIA PARTNERS: Financial Intelligence, Economistul, Romania Durabila, Club Economic, Bursa.

JURY BOARD MEMBERS: NICULAE HAVRILET, Energy Expert, RADU PAUN, Director, Industry and Energy Directorate, Competition Council; ZOLTAN NAGY, Vice-President, ANRE; VALERIU BINIG, Regulatory and Antitrust, ENEL, IULIAN TUDORACHE, Expert SNN; RADU DUDAU, Director Energy Policy Group, SILVIA VLASCEANU, Executive Director ACUE – Federation of Associations of Energy Utility Companies; Prof. Dr. GEORGE DARIE, Polytechnic Univ. Bucharest, Dept. of Power Production and Usage, Member Board of Directors, ICME ECAB S.A.

Congratulations to all the WINNERS & FINALISTS!

ENERGY COMPANY OF THE YEAR – HIDROELECTRICA & NUCLEARELECTRICA

Anca Dragu, President, Romanian Senate: “In this category we have two winners: Hidroelectrica and Nuclearelectrica. The two energy producers were awarded for the extreme resilience they showed in the complicated year 2020.

With a contribution of 27%, respectively 21% in the total national electricity production, these companies were at the forefront in combating the effects of the pandemic and helped us last year to overcome this period of restrictions more easily, being able to connect to distance with loved ones, to have video conferences and work from home and, why not, to watch movies on streaming platforms.

Although the last two years have been very complicated for energy producers, financial data show that, thanks to careful management and adaptation of trade policies, these companies have managed to provide jobs, make investments and pay taxes.”

Bogdan Buciu, Advisor to the General Manager, Hidroelectrica: “I congratulate the organizers for the entire activity and for the special way in which they manage to do their job. We sincerely admire them and thank them for giving us the opportunity to be with the representatives of the Romanian energy sector tonight. We thank the prestigious jury that nominated us for this award. This is not the first time we have received the title of Company of the Year. This award shows that we are consistent in what we do and that we do our job with professionalism and dedication.”

Romeo Urjan, COO Nuclearelectrica: “Thank you very much for this award. We are honored. We consider that we have fulfilled our duty in this difficult period for everyone. We managed to maintain our production targets and profit targets. I dedicate this award to the people who kept the lights on during this period.”

BEST DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM OF THE YEAR – E-DISTRIBUTIE

Zoltan Nagy, Vice-president, ANRE: “This is a category in which the winner is the same as at last year’s Energy Awards. It was a small debate in the jury whether to resist the temptation not to repeat the award for the same company. We have decided that this company is so far ahead of the other competitors in the field of digitalization that it fully deserves to receive this award. The winner is E-Distribution.

Sergiu Ion, communications director of Enel companies in Romania: “It is an honor to receive this award tonight, but the credit goes to my colleagues who made E-Distributie a leader in the field of digitalization. In addition to the remote control system, I talk about the intelligent metering system and the digitization of work processes. All of this lead to customer benefits.”

SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION – ENEL

Mihaela Croitoru, Managing Partner and Sustainability Consultant, INNOVA Project Consulting: “I am glad to participate in the tenth edition of this event, in which for the first time we offer the award for performance in sustainability. Sustainability is a strategic topic for companies, given the European Commission’s recent plans to achieve climate neutrality on this continent by 2050. As sustainability consultants, we at INNOVA Project Consulting have noticed a growing interest in recent years of companies on this subject. This energy sector is one of the leading sectors in the field of sustainability reporting with many companies that publish quality sustainability reports and at a very high level of detail. The winner of this award is the largest private renewable energy operator in the world, with a managed capacity of 48 GW and the largest private electricity distribution company globally, with 74 million end users connected to the most advanced digitized networks in the world. Congratulations Enel!”

Sergiu Ion, communication director of Enel companies in Romania: “I have the privilege to receive a second prize on behalf of my colleagues. We are very honored by the award for sustainability, as sustainability is an aspect on which the whole business strategy of the group focuses. Last year, Enel announced very important projects for Romania in the field of renewable energy, but also for the digitization of networks. We are making the transition from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism, creating value for communities.”

ENERGY MANAGER OF THE YEAR – ONDREJ SAFAR , CEO CEZ ROMANIA

Zoltan Nagy, Vice President,ANRE: “Being a manager in 2020 in Romania or in any other country was a challenge. Driving companies and people under restrictions to fight the pandemic has been difficult for managers, companies and people together. In addition, I believe that in the field of energy, where you have to ensure the continuity and quality of services from production, transport, distribution and supply was an additional challenge compared to other fields. The Energy Manager of the Year coped with these challenges. Another challenge was that the group decided to sell assets in Romania and thus had to deal with additional sources of stress. The manager of the year is Ondrej Safar.”

Ondrej Safar, CEO of CEZ Romania: “Thank you very much. I really appreciate it because the year was very difficult for all of us and we managed it very well across the energy sector. It’s true we had the additional challenge which was the divestment process which was running in parallel. I have to say I’m very happy that we finalized the process with the same people we started the process with. That was really a big support for me because I would be nothing without all the people around us in the organization. I want to thank all the colleagues in CEZ. I also want to congratulate The Diplomat for this event and to wish them Happy Birthday on the 10-year anniversary of this event.”

OIL & GAS COMPANY OF THE YEAR – MOL ROMANIA

Robert Tudorache, Expert, Nuclearelectrica: “I want to wish The Diplomat Happy Birthday on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of this event. I am glad to be here and I am glad to have the pleasure of announcing the winner of this category. More than 25 years ago, this company opened the first gas station on the Romanian market. During this time, it has invested approximately  200 million USD in organic expansion and network modernization. Today, it serves its customers through a network of over 240 stations, with an extensive portfolio of products and services dedicated to individuals and companies. It is currently in a process of transformation to become a complete service provider for customers on the move, in line with the Group’s development strategy. The winner of this award is MOL Romania.”

Camelia Ene, CEO, Mol Romania: “Thank you for the award. I’m so glad to be here today. It is the first event I participate in after a year and a half. I’m glad life is starting to get back to normal. Congratulations The Diplomat for this event. We have been present on the Romanian market for 25 years and we are not only a player in the oil and gas industry, but an important player in the Romanian economy and an important partner in terms of social responsibility. This award honors us and I assure you that the next 25 years will be just as dynamic from our perspective.”

OIL & GAS PROJECT OF THE YEAR – TRANSGAZ

Robert Tudorache, Expert, Nuclearelectrica: “I think the BRUA project is dear to all of us and I am pleased to announce the winner of this award: Transgaz.”

Angela Mates, HR Director, Transgaz: “We thank you for the award given to Transgaz and for recognizing the BRUA project as a project of strategic importance. We thank the organizers and all the participants.”

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC ENERGY COMPANY – SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Valeriu Binig, Director, Regulatory and Antitrust, Enel: “This company considers feedback to be a gift that comes from a dialogue with customers and their business partners. It developed the Customer Voice tool that measures customer satisfaction in order to constantly respond to their needs and requirements. In a simple and easy to follow way, established based on the system alert setting, this Customer Voice helps to manage online feedback in real time. Thus, the company can analyze a customer’s trends depending on the field to which it belongs and can improve the content of digital communication channels, the accuracy of information, the speed of the search engine in web pages, the use and quality of services offered. When we proposed this category a few years ago, we were thinking of energy supply companies. However, today’s winner is Schneider Electric.”

Steluta Leu, Customer Satisfaction & Quality Business Partner, Schneider Electric: “I am glad to be here today. Congratulations to the organizers for this extraordinary event. I am happy and honored to receive this award on behalf of Schneider Electric. Thanks to the jury for this nomination. It is the culmination of the work of an extraordinary team of people who dedicate every moment of their working day in supporting the client. I dedicate this award to our clients and partners and I am convinced that together with them we will succeed in promoting digitalization and energy management.”

AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN ENERGY – OMV PETROM

Valeriu Binig, Director, Regulatory and Antitrust, Enel: “It has launched the Climate Neutral card with which companies can actively contribute to climate action and to offset carbon emissions associated with fuel consumption. This option, a first for the Romanian fuel market, is made available through Climate Partner, an international provider of solutions for corporate climate actions. The winner is OMV Petrom for Climate Neutral Card.”

Radu Caprau, member of the OMV Petrom Management Board responsible for Downstream Oil activity: “Congratulations to The Diplomat for the 10 years of energy awards. Our goal is to provide energy in a sustainable and sustainable way, and one of the solutions that helps us do this is innovation. Last year, when we launched this card, it was a premiere for Romania, allowing our customers to offset carbon emissions. We have other activities in this regard. We have initiated a program to install photovoltaic panels on our gas stations. We have projects to increase energy efficiency.”

ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM –  ENEL X ROMANIA

Silvia Vlasceanu, Secretary General, ACUE: “This company has put into operation a photovoltaic panel system with a total installed capacity of almost 1 MW for one of the largest sausage producers, the Fox group of companies. The implemented project consists of two types of solutions that use as renewable energy source, solar energy: photovoltaic system with grounding and a Carport solution in the parking area. The award was won by Enel X Romania.”

Mihai Mardale, Head of E-Mobility, Enel X: “I have the honor to receive this award on behalf of my colleagues who worked for this project. We will continue to carry out such projects and we are happy for the companies to open up to the area of energy efficiency, whether we are talking about photovoltaic panels or charging stations for electric cars.”

E-MOBILITY AWARD – OMV PETROM & ENEL X

Silvia Vlasceanu, Secretary General, ACUE: “Following deliberations of the jury, this award was given to the partnership between OMV Petrom, the largest energy company in South-Eastern Europe and Enel X Romania, the energy services division of the Enel group. The two companies have announced that they will install 10 fast charging stations for electric cars in OMV and Petrom distribution stations. These stations cover a distance of almost 380 kilometers on the main roads in Romania, connecting cities in the east, center and west of the country.”

Radu Caprau, member of the OMV Petrom Management Board responsible for Downstream Oil activity: “We believe that the future of mobility is based on a mix of solutions, and e-mobility is one of the solutions of the future, which is why we entered into this partnership with Enel X. Thank you for this award.”

Mihai Mardale, Head of E-Mobility, Enel X: “We are very proud of our achievements in electric mobility. We aim to offer complete solutions for charging electric cars, whether we are talking about public charging stations or we are talking about solutions for the needs of home or office. We have over 140 charging points all over the country in over 11 cities.”

INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP AWARD – TRANSELECTRICA, SIEMENS ENERGY, POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST

Prof. Dr. George Darie, Polytechnic University of Bucharest: “Collaboration between universities and energy companies is a priority from my point of view. These collaborations were very successful. I am pleased to announce the winners of this category: Transelectrica and Siemens Energy.”

Bogdan Marcu, Member of the Directorate, Transelectrica: “Thank you for the award. We continue to collaborate with universities in the country by providing internships and scholarships. We considered that it is time to move to a new level and thus we contributed to the realization of the first SCADA laboratory in collaboration with Polytechnic University of Bucharest and Siemens.”

Petru Ruset, CEO of Siemens Energy: “I thank the organizers and the jury for the appreciation offered to this project. Siemens Energy is a young company, a company that aims to be with partners in the energy transition. We prepare future generations and try to stay as close as possible to universities. This project will be further expanded and we will have similar projects throughout the country.”

Horia Necula, Pro-Rector of Polytechnic University of Bucharest: “Thank you for the invitation and for organizing this event. It is a pleasure to be here today. I want to thank our economic partners for this modern laboratory. It is the first laboratory to be developed in the field of digitization in recent years. We hope to continue the projects to support energy education.”

ENERGY CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD

The year 2020, like this year, is special and we will certainly not forget them too soon. The effects of 2020 continue to make their presence felt and the social, human and economic impact of the pandemic on communities will remain memorable in our global existence.

If until last year, companies were involved in various forms and projects in the life of communities, in 2020, their efforts and involvement were incredibly focused and activation, speed in decision making and budgets that were allocated should take rewards for all categories involving operational efficiency.

But not only this was the case in 2020. In 2020, as this year, humanity and the activation of the most sensitive springs of many of us have been extremely strong. And companies are abstract entities only on paper. They exist in reality, ONLY because of people and their actions.

Therefore, this year’s social responsibility awards are given to the ENTIRE ENERGY INDUSTRY and to companies from the entire Romanian economy because they have shown that, no matter how isolated we have become, we are never left alone.

Thus, we will list only some of the nominations received and highlighted in this Gala, without being able to mention all the projects, all the donations, all the companies and all the people involved in them, as it would be worth doing. So we thank all those present and your colleagues in the Romanian economy for this special period, in which we learned valuable human lessons.

Here are some of these projects and companies:

OMV Petrom and Kaufland Romania support the Click on Romania 2020 program, through which 2,000 computers will be donated to schools in Romania.

Enel has supported the communities it belongs to, in the context of post-pandemic recovery, through strategic partnerships in health, culture and sports.

Between March and December 2020, CEZ Group invested over 360,000 euros in projects to support local communities.

Engie Romania has donated 250,000 euros to several non-governmental associations in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

E.ON Romania donated over 500,000 RON in order to purchase medical equipment for treating patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Romgaz donated over 800,000 euros to the Sibiu County Emergency Hospital as financial support for the treatment of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Hidroelectrica donated 10 million RON for seven hospitals in Romania, in the context of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Tinmar Energy has donated 100,000 euros to several associations and the Cantacuzino Institute to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The Electrica Group supported the fight against the pandemic with donations of 240,000 euros for the hospitals in Bucharest, Ploiești, Brașov and Cluj.

Rompetrol has supported the health system in the fight against the pandemic through fuel donations for the medical units in the territory of the communities where it operates.

Monsson Trading donated 140,000 euros worth of medical equipment to two hospitals in Constanța.

Romgaz donated 1.25 million RON to the Red Cross for the fight against the pandemic.

Nuclearelectrica offered a donation of 3 million RON to the Red Cross for the purchase of materials needed to fight the pandemic.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – ANCA POPESCU

Horia Necula, Pro-Rector of Polytechnic University of Bucharest: “The winner of this award is a legend of Romanian energy: Mrs. Anca Popescu”

Anca Popescu: “I want to thank the organizers for this special evening. I want to thank the jury for giving me this great honor. I must admit that it is an event that overwhelms me. Thank you!”

DEAL OF THE YEAR – MACQUARIE INFRASTRUCTURE AND REAL ASSETS

Zoltan Nagy, Vicepresident,ANRE: “This was probably the easiest category to decide on, because of the magnitude of the deal. I think it’s a strong signal that the Romanian energy sector is able to attract such big investors despite the weaknesses of the sector which we all know. Hopefully this is just the beginning of attracting big, strong investors in the energy sector. It was by far the biggest deal of the year and the winner is Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets for the acquisition of CEZ assets in Romania.

Denis Mosolov, General Manager, MIRA: “It’s an honour to receive this award, so thank you. It’s our first deal in Romania, and we are very excited to be part of Romania’s energy sector and its story as it will evolve in the next 5-10 years. It was a challenging year for everybody. I want to say a big thank you to Ondrej, Doina and the team at CEZ Romania who were instrumental to make this happen. We also want to thank the people that we met through this process for giving us the opportunity to get to know you, for your advice. We look forward to working together in the coming years. Thank you very much, it’s an honour to receive this award.”

ENERGY TRANSITION AWARD – NOVA POWER & GAS

Niculae Havrilet, energy expert: “We are celebrating the tenth edition of this energy event. We remember the strong restructuring of the energy sector in 2012, with help from the European Commission, the World Bank. We have managed to have important successes in this sector. The listing of energy companies on the stock exchange brought Romania into the position of an emerging market from the perspective of the capital market. The winner of this category is Nova Power & Gas ”

Olga Melihov, commercial director of E-Infra: “Thank you for your recognition and appreciation. For both Nova Power & Gas and the E-Infra group, this award is an honor. We are interested in the development of energy infrastructure in Romania and we are investing in the growth of the energy market. Through the investments we make, we contribute to the transition to a modern energy infrastructure that Romania deserves and has been waiting for a long time.

We are glad to be part of this important process for the country. Thank you for your encouragement, for your support, for your appreciation. I want to thank the organizers for this successful event and congratulate The Diplomat for the 10 years of energy awards.”

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR – DISTRIBUTIE OLTENIA

Radu Dudau, director, Energy Policy Group: “I am very honored to be here at the tenth edition of The Diplomat Awards in the field of energy and at the same time glad to have the opportunity to offer an award for technology. It is presented as a hands-free body cam and means, as far as I understand, that the technician has a tablet with advanced software and goes into the field, intervenes at the low or medium voltage line and the other technicians offer the necessary instructions without moving an entire team in the field. The award goes to Distributie Oltenia.”

Doina Vornicu, COO CEZ Romania: “I am glad to be present at this event, after a year in which I missed the face-to-face meetings. I thank and congratulate The Diplomat team for the event that gave me this opportunity, but also for the 10 wonderful years in which it brought us together and we have always collaborated. This award is due to the initiative of very creative young people and very interested in technology from the company Distributie Energie Oltenia. The main beneficiary is the customer consuming electricity. With this technology, the duration of interruptions is reduced. The second beneficiary is the employee of our company because he learns while working. I want to thank the jury for appreciating this initiative. The award is dedicated to the employees of Oltenia Energy Distribution, with all our love and appreciation”.

ENGINEERING SOLUTION OF THE YEAR – ROMPETROL RAFINARE

Adrian Dobre, General Manager, Klarwin: “It is an honor to be on stage to present this award due to the fact that we are an engineering company. I am pleased to offer this award to one of the beneficiaries of our technologies. It is a project successfully implemented to recover liquefied gas in the most modern refinery on the Black Sea, namely Rompetrol Rafinare, a member of the KazMunayGas group.”

Felix Crudu-Tesloveanu, General Manager, Rompetrol Rafinare: “Thank you to the organizers and congratulations for an impeccable event. I wish you another 10 years at least as beautiful as before, with as many achievements.

If we refer to 2020, we do not want another year of crisis. We all want to recover. We don’t want to go through last year’s difficulties. We want to continue the development effort. We understood in 2020 how important it is to support the economy. I am proud to be part of a young engineering team. The solution of this LPG recovery that aims to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions was designed by our engineers and was implemented 100% by the Rompetrol team from the idea until its commissioning. I am proud of my team and our group maintains its goals of reducing the impact on the environment.”

BRAND OF THE YEAR IN ENERGY – TINMAR ENERGY

Mirela Gavra, Publisher, The Diplomat-Bucharest: “In this category, the winner was designated by the online vote of the public. Thus, the most voted brand was Tinmar. Congratulations!”

Carla Parnica, marketing and corporate communication manager, Tinmar Energy: “We thank those who voted for us and helped us obtain this award. It is an award that honors us. It is proof that you can do quality business in Romania as well.”

KEY ENERGY PLAYER IN THE CEE REGION – ROMGAZ

Mirela Gavra, Publisher, The Diplomat-Bucharest: “The Neptun Deep project in the Black Sea has a strategic importance for Romania and for the energy future of the country in the region we belong to.

After the American company Exxon announced its withdrawal from the project, the largest gas producer in Romania intervened and submitted an offer to buy a 50% share of the deep-sea gas exploration and exploitation project. We wish them success in their endeavors and award this prize to Romgaz. ”

Andreea Negru, Head of PR, Romgaz: “This award honors us and forces us to work so that next year we get other awards. We want to complete this transaction to become an important player in the region. Thanks to the organizers!”

OUTSTANDING OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE – ELECTRICA

Mirela Gavra, Publisher, The Diplomat-Bucharest: “In 2020, this company achieved a net profit of almost 400 million lei, increasing by 87.5% compared to the previous year, in an unprecedented context amid the pandemic. Despite last year’s challenges, the company continued its investment and cost optimization plans for the benefit of end customers. The prize is awarded to Electrica.”

Corina Popescu, CEO, Electrica: “Thank you to the organizers and good luck in your activity. It is an award that obliges us to continue our activity and increase performance. I am convinced that next year we will compete to win more awards.”

SMART LIGHTNING INNOVATOR – SIGNIFY

Mirela Gavra, Publisher, The Diplomat-Bucharest: “A complete transition to LED lighting in just three public lighting sectors can reduce energy costs by up to 150 million euros each year nationwide, according to a study made in Romania and 10 other countries in Eastern Europe.

LED technology can bring considerable benefits in sectors such as street and street lighting, medical units or schools. Because innovation is in their DNA and because they are the pioneers of many discoveries in this lighting industry, we give this award to Signify.”

Razvan Copoiu, CEO of Signify Romania: “Congratulations to the organizers for the 10 years of energy awards. We are celebrating 3 years since the founding of Signify. In 2015-2016, this LED technology appeared, we were the first to manage to introduce connected lighting. We have over 20,000 patents. I am honored by this award, which gives us courage for the future. We need to demonstrate the real potential of the world with Signify technologies.”

AWARD FOR GREEN ENERGY INVESTMENTS – ENERGOBIT

Mirela Gavra, Publisher, The Diplomat-Bucharest: “This company is currently actively involved in the development of new clean energy production capacities, having in the study and design stage over 3000 MW power installed in green energy production plants, from which 1000 MW installed capacity refers to new wind projects and approximately 2000 MW installed capacity in large photovoltaic projects.

For more than 30 years, the company has been one of the main players in the energy market and contributes significantly through its actions and product design to support the process of redefining and developing the entire energy sector. We award this prize to EnergoBit. ”

Stefan Gadola, CEO, Energobit: “I want to thank the organizers for this award and congratulate them on the 10th anniversary of the energy awards.”

EDUCATION SUPPORTER – ENGIE

Mirela Gavra, Publisher, The Diplomat-Bucharest: “Investments in education and training of future installers and technicians in the energy industry are a priority for this company, which has launched two dual education classes in Bucharest and Galati.

In order for 50 young people to obtain the necessary skills and qualifications in the school year 2021-2022, this company will invest about two million RON. This amount is added to another 6 million RON that have been invested in the education of another 115 young people. The award is given to Engie Romania.”

Eric Stab, CEO, Engie Romania: “We are very happy to have won this award. Thank you for this recognition. The new generations of workers are our future. Encouraging dual education is our duty and our program is a success due to the involvement of our teams and the interest of the younger generations in technical jobs. Thank you very much!”

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