The developer of biofuel from plant residues and the inventor of the rechargeable battery won the Prime Minister's Award for Innovation in the Field of Oil Substitutes for Transportation

The two American winners will receive the prize, in the amount of one million dollars donated by the Samson family, at the National Program for Alternative Fuels conference on November 10, in Jerusalem

The winners of the Prime Minister's Award in the amount of one million dollars for global innovation in the field of oil substitutes for transportation were announced - the largest award in the world in the field

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Science Ofir Akunis announced the winners of the Eric and Sheila Samson Prime Minister's Award for Innovation in the Field of Alternative Energy for Transportation: Prof. J. Kiesling from the University of California at Berkeley, USA and Prof. John Goodenough from the University of Texas at Austin, USA . The two scientists won the prestigious award for their groundbreaking research in the development of processes and technologies that have the potential to be used as a substitute for fossil fuels, which are today the main source of transportation fuels. The prize is awarded for the third year by the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space and the Foundation.
The award, named after Eric and Sheila Samson, in the amount of one million dollars, is the largest financial award in the field of alternative energy in the world and is awarded to scientists who have significantly advanced the field of oil substitutes for transportation. The winners were selected from a list of candidates recommended for the award by university presidents and leading research institutes, and industry executives from around the world and in Israel. The winners were chosen by an international committee of experts that submitted its recommendation for approval by a board of trustees headed by Prof. Yitzhak Apluig, former president of the Technion.
The first winner - Prof. J. Kiesling from the University of California at Berkeley is the head of the largest institute in his field in the US in the field of bioenergy and is one of the directors of the Lawrence-Berkeley National Institute. In his research, he developed, using methods of genetic engineering, organisms that enable the transformation of cellular biomass, which is not used for food, into carbon fuels identical in properties to the fuels we use today, and this in a relatively simple process. An important advantage of the technology developed by Prof. Kiessling is that it enables the use of these fuels, produced from a biological source, in the existing infrastructures in the transportation fuel industry. Fuel produced with the technologies developed by Prof. Kiessling is already used in buses and airplanes.
The second winner - Prof. John Goodenough, from the University of Texas at Austin, in the USA, is a pioneer in the research of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. His research and inventions are the basis for the development of rechargeable batteries which are used today in a very wide range of uses, including electric cars and cell phones.
The chairman of the board of trustees of the prize, Prof. Yitzhak Apluig, said, "The basic scientific discoveries and technological developments of the prize recipients advance humanity one more step to the moment when we can use alternative energy for transportation and other needs and break away from the need to use fossil fuels, which are limited in quantity and are running out quickly."
The board of trustees that examined the recommendations for the award and decided on the winners included five scientists including Nobel laureate Prof. Aharon Chachanover; former head of the National Economic Council in the Prime Minister's Office Prof. Eugene Kendall; The Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space Prof. Nurit Yeremia; Chairman of Keren Hayesod Modi Zandberg; and a representative of the donor's family.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "This is an important award and the largest in the world in its field, which expresses true appreciation to researchers for their efforts and supports the promotion of technological breakthroughs in the field of fuel substitutes. We are investing a multi-year effort to free ourselves from global dependence on oil."
Science Minister Ofir Akunis said, "The award symbolizes the commitment of the State of Israel to promote the issue of oil substitutes, which is of utmost importance in every aspect of our lives here - economy, security, science and society. The award is given on the basis of scientific excellence and the potential to contribute to the development of alternative fuels for transportation and impact on humanity."
The prize will be awarded to the winners in about a month, on November 10, 2015, as part of an international conference for fuel substitutes led by the Directorate of Fuel Substitutes in the Prime Minister's Office headed by Eyal Rosner, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space and the Foundation. The conference, which is being held for the third time in Israel, will be attended by experts from the energy and automotive industry, government officials from around the world, international experts and senior investors, with the aim of holding a forum for formulating an international policy in the field of fuel substitutes and positioning Israel as a leading industrial and knowledge center in this important field.
Eyal Rosner, head of the national program for fuel substitutes, said: "Israel continues to lead the world in promoting solutions for fuel substitutes. Holding the conference in Israel positions Israel as a world leader in the field. Israel has set itself a goal of reducing the use of fuel from fossil sources for transportation by 60% by the year 2025. In order to reach this goal, innovation, creativity and no less than that - a smart and strong policy are needed. We must reduce dependence on oil and dependence on oil-producing countries and thus strengthen the world economy."