The prize-giving ceremony was held today, Monday 3 October Eni Award 2022. The prizes for scientific research were awarded at the Palazzo del Quirinale, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, of the president of Eni Lucia Calvosa and the managing director of EniClaudio Descalzi.
Now in its fourteenth edition this year, the "Nobel Prize for Energy", explains a note, is considered an international point of reference for research in the fields of energy and the environment and testifies to the importance that scientific research and innovation have for Eni. Since its establishment in 2008, there have been more than ten thousand applications. The Scientific Commission, which evaluated the research presented, is made up of scientists who belong to the most advanced research institutes worldwide and over the years has seen the participation of 6 Nobel Prize winners.
Also this year Eni, through Joule, its School for Enterprise, has awarded the Special mention Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship, intended for teams, university spin-offs, startups and aimed at promoting the application, enhancement and transfer of technologies while promoting the creation of a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
All the prizes of Eni Award 2022
In the 2022 edition of Eni Award:
- For the Energy transition the prize was awarded to Naomi Halas e Peter Nordlander of Rice University (Houston, Texas), for the research Antenna-Reactor plasmon photocatalysis for the generation and sustainable distribution of hydrogen. The two researchers have developed new catalytic systems and devices capable of exploiting the energy of light to conduct important chemical processes, including the production of hydrogen. An increasingly widespread and sustainable production of hydrogen will help accelerate the achievement of net zero.
- In the Frontiers of Energy, for research on renewable sources and energy storage, the prize was awarded to Jens Norskov e Ib Chorkendorff of the Technical University of Denmark for their work on Sustainable production of fuels and chemicals – low pressure and temperature electrochemical synthesis of ammonia. They have developed a cyclic electrochemical process, activated by renewable energies and mediated by lithium, for the production of ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure. Ammonia is one of the main commodity chemicals used in the production of fertilizers and many other derivative products, as well as one of the candidates as a renewable energy carrier.
- Finally, in scope Advanced Environmental Solutions, dedicated to research on the protection of air, water and land and on the reclamation of industrial sites, the prize was awarded to Geoffrey Coates of Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) for his research related to the development of new macromolecular architectures to solve the end-of-life problems of plastics. Prof. Coates has developed methodologies at an industrial level for obtaining polymers with reduced environmental impact in four specific areas: chemically recyclable plastics; mechanical recycling of plastics; photodegradable plastics; biodegradable plastics from renewable raw materials. The research paves the way for the development of scientific and technological solutions to minimize the negative impact of polymeric materials and plastics on the environment.
The section Young Talents from Africa, established in 2017 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Eni Award and dedicated to young talents from the African continent, in this edition confers four awards, assigned to Yousif ADAM, The American University in Cairo, Egypt, a Ibrahim Mohamed Ibrahim Moustafa IBRAHIM, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Egypt, a Andsera Adugna MEKONEN, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia ea Andris Metumo SIMEON, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
The winners will receive a scholarship that will allow them to attend PhD courses at the Polytechnic of Turin and the University "Federico II" of Naples to deepen and develop their innovative ideas. Adam's proposal concerns the sustainable management of wastewater in Africa, based on the use of micro-algae, with a view to Circular Economy. Ibrahim proposed a thesis developing an advanced predictive approach for estimating energy generation from solar installations. Mekonen conducted a study of sustainable agroforestry ecosystem using Earth observation and environmental surveying in central Ethiopia. Finally, Simeon developed a study on intelligent adaptive protection strategies for hybrid micro-grids. - For the category Young Researcher of the Year, which rewards two researchers who have obtained their PhDs from Italian universities, the awards were given to Isabella Fiorello e Julia Fredi. Fiorello, who conducted his doctorate at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, has developed mini-robots inspired by climbing plants that pave the way towards new sustainable and intelligent strategies, applicable to precision agriculture, which can help conserve resources natural. Fredi, from the University of Trento, conducted a study on polymeric composite materials that combine high mechanical properties with the ability to store and release heat, for applications in the field of thermal energy accumulation.
- For the section Recognition for Innovation Eni, which elects the most innovative projects developed by Eni researchers and technical experts, were awarded: P. Biagini, R. Po' (Eni), F. Bisconti, A. Giuri, A. Rizzo and S. Colella (CNR-Nanotec, Lecce), for having patented peroskite-based semi-transparent photovoltaic cells and the process for producing them; G. Gatti, C. Perretta (Eni-Versalis) for the innovative technological solution that implements a line of new products, containing recycled material deriving from end-of-life tyres; A. Chiodini, S. Loda, F. Rubertelli (Eni) for the e-lorec technological solution, which consists of an automatic device for the recovery of dense liquids in the non-aqueous phase from contaminated groundwater.
- Arabat: Early stage startup (TRL 4) in Foggia which develops innovative processes for the recycling of exhausted lithium batteries and the reintegration of recovered precious metals through an innovative system that uses agri-food waste. The team is made up of 5 young Apulian professionals (engineers, chemists, economists) who developed the project at the University of Foggia and is represented by Raffaele Nacchiero (CEO and co-founder).
- Synergy Flow: Early stage startup (TRL 4) in Milan proposing an innovative battery for medium and large scale stationary energy storage. The flow cell battery uses sulfur-rich waste from the petrochemical industry, with low installation cost and high performance. The team is made up of 3 young engineers who developed the project at the Milan Polytechnic and is represented by Alessandra Accogli (CEO and co-founder).
- Ricehouse: Startup with a very high level of maturity (TRL 9) from Milan that transforms waste deriving from rice processing into natural materials for green building and green architecture. Today it has become a benefit company and has about 15 employees (aged between 24 and 44) and is represented by Tiziana Monterisi (CEO and co-founder).
