EDP Renewables, a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the world’s third-largest wind energy producer, has announced the winner of the EDP University Challenge 2011 for students of Spanish universities.
The award ceremony was presided by EDP Renewables CEO Ana Maria Fernandes and attendees included José Donoso and José María González Vélez, Presidents of the Spanish wind power associations AEE and APPA, respectively.
The five finalist groups presented their projects to the audience and the judging panel, which was comprised of: Julia Elizalde, Head of Communications and External Relations, Assistant Manager of CENER; Sergio de Otto, Director of External Relations at AEE; Telmo Vieira, Partner at Premivalor Consulting; Joaquín García Boto, Head of Project Development at EDP Renewables España and Estrella Martín, HR Director at EDP Renewables.
The five shortlisted projects were as follows:
“Hybrid photovoltaic/wind power generation system with hydrogen storage in the Dominican Republic” by the European University of Madrid
“District Heating: Clean Energy Technology” by the Gijón Technical School of Engineering of the University of Oviedo
“Repowering Spain’s wind farms” by the Technical University of Madrid
“Hydro-wind power plants” by the Gijón Technical School of Engineering of the University of Oviedo
“Design for an off-shore wind farm” by the Gijón Technical School of Engineering of the University of Oviedo
The winning project was “Design for an off-shore wind farm”, presented by a group of students from the Gijón Technical School of Engineering of the University of Oviedo. The project was supervised by the Engineering faculty professor, David Ramón Núñez.
The winning team was awarded a study grant worth 10,000 Euros. The winning students will also be given the chance to carry out a three-month work placement at EDP Renewables, which is present in eleven countries. The professor who supervised the winning entry was also awarded a research grant worth 3,500 Euros.
This latest edition of the University Challenge achieved remarkable participation with over 30 entries. This meant that EDP Renewables was, on this occasion, able to select two of the shortlisted products for possible practical application within the company’s project development framework.
EDP Renewables launched the EDP University Challenge in Spain in 2009 and in Portugal in 2007. Under the title “EDP and renewable energies: facing the future side by side”, the company organised this annual contest in order to support universities in the practical application of academic knowledge for the development of projects or ideas in the field of renewable energies.
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Source: edprenovaveis, October 11, 2011