The 4th Ghana Energy Awards (GEA) has honoured deserving personalities and companies in the country's energy sector.

At the climax of the event, the Chief Executive of the Bui Power Authority, Fred Oware, took home the prestigious title of Energy Personality of the Year, with PURC's Mami Dufie-Ofori claiming the coveted Female Energy Personality of the Year.

Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority, Ing. Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, emerged the CEO of the Year in the power sub-sector while Managing Director of GOIL, Kwame Osei Prempeh, topped in the petroleum category.

Chaired by the Akwamumanhene of the Akwamu Traditional Area, Odenefo Kwafo Akoto III, GEA 2020 saw several representatives of government, various heads of organisations and institutions of the sector in attendance.

Economic Counselor at the US Embassy, Hagen Maroney; Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ghana, Kim Sungsoo as well as Dorothee Dinkelaker from the German Embassy; Arndt Wierheim, Director KFW and Vanessa Eidt, Portfoliomanager of KFW were present to grace the occasion.

Dr Kwame Ampofo, Chairman of the GEA Awarding Panel noted that the awards scheme was "instituted to recognize the hard work of industry practitioners and reward outstanding ones for meritorious service to the country and to its people".

He said the choice of theme for the event: "Excelling in Crisis: the Energy Sector in a COVID-19 Era", was to highlight the "difficult and uncertain physical, emotional and traumatic environment caused by the pandemic that businesses, including those in the energy sector have had to contend with, and get our country going."

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Energy, John-Peter Amewu, expressed his appreciation for the resilience of stakeholders in the sector.

He recounted that the war against COVID-19 in the energy sector has been jointly waged by government and the private sector with complementing efforts. This liaison, he indicated, had resulted in the achievements being celebrated.

He pointed to poignant interventions made by government in terms of inter-utility debt servicing, electricity bill subsidies, upgrade of the transmission network, and the proliferation of renewable energy projects across the country.

The 4th Ghana Energy Awards also featured several honorary awards for various efforts toward battling the pandemic.

These included the Outstanding Initiative Award that went to the Private Sector Fund led by Senyo Hosi, CEO of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors; Outstanding Covid-19 Task Force received by the VRA; Women-in-Energy Award to Harriet Amissah-Arthur of Arthur Energy Advisors; Osagyefo Young Leadership Award to Michael Bozumbil, CEO of PETROSOL and the Exemplary Leadership Award to Senyo Hosi, CEO of CBOD.

The Ministry of Energy received the Special Recognition Award for government's Recovery Programme and Free Electricity during Covid-19. TMG was also honoured for their Outstanding Contribution to Rural Electrification while the Energy Commission received the Leadership Impact in Energy Policy, with Total Petroleum Ghana receiving the honour for Excellence in ICT Adoption for Covid-19 Prevention.

The recognition for Covid-19 HSSE went to Ghana Gas while the Electricity Company of Ghana received the Outstanding Project for Fighting Covid-19 for building the Pantang Treatment Centre.

The 2020 Ghana Energy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on Kweku Andoh Awotwi, Board Chairman of the VRA.

Other award winners include:
Energy Reporter of the Year - Francisca Dickson Arhin, EIB Network
Emerging Energy Company of the Year - Meinergy Technology Ltd
Brand of the Year - GRIDCo
Corporate Social Responsibility of the Year- VRA
Innovation Project of the Year - Equator Energy
Clean Energy Initiative of the Year - Bui Power Authority
Off-Grid Energy Solution of the Year- University of Ghana
Energy Institution of the Year- COPEC Ghana
Excellence in Power Generation - Sunon Asogli Power
Energy Consultancy Service Organization - ACEP
Energy Company of the Year (Power) - GRIDCo
Energy Company of the Year (Petroleum) - Ghana Gas
Energy Company of the Year (Renewable) - Bui Power Authority