Danish wind power company Vestas has been awarded what it describes as the “largest and most prestigious award” in the field of renewable energy.
The company was awarded the Zayed Future Energy Prize 2011 from a field of 391 other entrants, a Vestas press release stated. The award was presented by Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
“For over 30 years, Vestas turbines have been among the most innovative in the world” Jury Chairman and former Nobel Laureate Dr. RK Pachauri, said. “Not only has the company – almost single-handedly – been a pioneer in the wind power industry, it succeeded in spite of the fact that it is established in a small country.”
The prize was received by Vestas CEO Ditlev Engel who said: “We only have one thing on our minds – and that is to continuously develop the technology in order to make wind energy as cheap as possible for both our customers and end users worldwide.
Last year the prize went to Toyota for the third generation of the fuel-efficient hybrid Prius.
