GREEN fuel for a winning Le Mans racing car powered engineers to the front of the awards grid alongside an eco-friendly housebuilder.

McNeil Engineering, based at Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, shared the honours with Eco-Librium Solutions, Capel-le-Ferne, for the county’s top environmental honours.

It was the first time in the 19-year-old history of the Environment Awards for Kent Business that two firms had tied for the coveted dragonfly trophy. A second top award had to be commissioned after judges failed to split the two front-runners.

The awards were presented by Keith Ferrin, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, at a ceremony held in East Malling Research conference centre.

The ceremony, hosted by BBC television presenter Geoff Clark, brought together the county’s greenest organisations, including two Sheppey schools and Maidstone prison.

Cllr Ferrin, chairman of the judges, hailed the two winners as pioneers. "Both organisations demonstrate that we can meet the necessary target reduction in emissions and the use of natural resources," he said.

McNeil Engineering transferred its skills to the racing circuit by producing an engine to run on bio-ethanol fuel. It was put in a car for Le Mans 2004 and proved to be fastest on the straight. The driver was the best-placed Briton in the gruelling 24-hour race.

John McNeil, managing director, was delighted with the accolade. His company had shown that bio-ethanol could compete with fossil fuels in motor racing and claimed that only political reasons prevented its use in Formula One.

"They could switch tomorrow but there are plenty of political reasons why that won’t happen," he said.

Eco-Librium Solutions builds green considerations into house design and construction. Andrew Bassant, director, said it was important to minimise the impact buildings have on the environment.

He had previously worked in the construction industry. "There were certain things I became aware of in the 1990s that seemed to me to be wrong."

It need not be expensive to build sustainable homes, he said. "We could easily see a point where a sustainable building could be justified as cheaper. Eco-friendly homes can be affordable. Building well means building sustainably."

Two special awards went to Cheyne Middle School, Sheerness, and Eastchurch Church of England Primary School for their pupils’ involvement in environmental and community issues.

There were a record 56 entries for this year’s contest.

* Other winners of the Environment Awards for Kent Business were: mhs homes, Rochester (Sustainable Environmental Management System); Vines Centre Trust, Strood (Pioneering Social Enterprise);Impact Recycling, Rochester (Commercial Development of Plastic Recycling);Bio-Health, Rochester (Championing the Case for Sustainable Business);Maidstone Borough Council (Environmentally Responsible Purchasing);Cyma Architects, Ashford (Promoting Design in Construction);Conditionaire, Tonbridge (Energy Efficient Technology);MP Maidstone (Comprehensive Engagement in Environmental Management).

* Sponsors included Kent County Council, Business Link Kent, Shepherd Neame, Kent Sustainable Business Partnership, Cyberkix, Environment Agency, Pfizer, Hillreed Homes and the Kent Messenger Group.