The Winner of the European Geothermal Innovation Award 2014 is BESTEC

The first European Geothermal Innovation Award was presented to Jörg Baumgärtner (Bestec) by Burkhard Sanner (EGEC) at GeoTHERM.

Collecting the award, Jörg Baumgärtner said “we as a company are proud to be involved in the continuation of the European success of the EGS technology developed a Soultz, which depended on the contribution of experts from several countries. Knowledge we gained there was developed further at Landau and Insheim”

Baumgärtner thanked and praised the BESTEC team, who he described as “a dynamic crew, always ready to deeply engage in new projects.”

Burkhard Sanner said that “BESTEC have been instrumental in bringing a concept which had been researched and discussed for a very long time, into practically demonstrated and commercially viable installations.”

He thanked the finalists- the endorsed nominees- saying “these four companies showcase the innovation power that exists within all fields of geothermal energy.” He added “I look forward to reviewing many more excellent nominations for next year’s award”.

The four endorsed nominations for the European Geothermal Innovation Award 2014 were, in alphabetical order:

• BESTEC (DE), for their contribution to the development of commercial EGS projects.
• Exergy (IT), for their Radial Outflow Turbine for geothermal binary plants.
• Groenholland (NL), for their innovative contribution in the shallow geothermal field
• Zorlu (TR), for the Kizildere Phase II plant, which has a binary unit and supplies district and greenhouse heating.

Designed as an opportunity for industry peers to acknowledge excellence, 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.

The jury for 2014 was composed of Victor van Heekeren (The Netherlands), Adele Manzella (Italy), Ladislaus Rybach (Switzerland), Burkhard Sanner (EGEC), and Sandra Kircher (Messe Offenburg).

The European Geothermal Innovation Award 2014 is an initiative from The European Geothermal Energy Council in collaboration with Messe Offenburg, organisers of the GeoTHERM fair and congress.