The U.S.-based Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), a global leader in the field, honored the late Costa Rican scientist Alfredo Mainieri Protti during its awards ceremony that honors the best and brightest of the global geothermal energy community, said the non-profit group this week.

Earlier this year, Costa Rica’s Electricity Institute (ICE) bestowed another honor on the country’s geothermal pioneer when they named the Miravalles geothermal field after him. Mainieri Protti was a driving force in the geothermal development of Costa Rica, said a report in Thinkgeoenergy.com.

Mainieri Protti’s geothermal research which began in Costa Rica in the 1970s, allowed for the development of the Miravalles I, II, III, IV and V; the Las Pailas I and II, as well as the future Borinquen I and II geothermal plants.

Mainieri Protti was born in Puntarenas, on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast in 1934 and died in the capital of Costa Rica in 2013. His personal guiding vision was to develop electrical projects in harmony with the environment.

In the ceremony in July in the late scientist’s honor, ICE officials recalled that Mainieri was also an outspoken advocate for the socio-economic well-being of the communities surrounding the geothermal fields developed by ICE.

The GRC awards will be presented at the GRC Annual Meeting at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 1-4.

The recipients of these awards have a lifetime of achievement in the geothermal academic, scientific and commercial communities, said the council. The GRC Awards recognizes the contributions of these individuals to educational institutions and the geothermal community around the world.

Alfredo Mainieri Protti will receive the GRC Special Citation Award, “For his lifelong pioneering work and enduring achievements in Costa Rica’s geothermal power development.”

The GRC has over 1,300 members in over 40 countries, and seeks to be a primary professional educational association for the international geothermal community. The GRC serves as a focal point for continuing professional development for its members through its outreach, information transfer and education services.