The Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdańsk was honoured with the Energy Globe National Award 2015 for the implementation and coordination of the national project No. POIG.01.01.02-00-016/08, entitled ‘Model agro-energy complexes ....’, as one of more than 1,500 top ecological projects from 177 countries worldwide.

The project was led by Prof. Jan Kiciński, along with the leaders of thematic groups from several centres in Poland: G. Żywica, Ph.D., Eng., and E. Ihnatowicz, Ph.D., Eng. (both from the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences), Prof. J. Gołaszewski (from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn), Prof. M. Kułażyński (from Wrocław University of Science and Technology), and T. Golec, Ph.D., Eng. (from the Institute of Power Engineering).

The Institute and the implementation teams received recognition from experts and an international jury for developing state-of-the-art environmentally friendly technologies. These include, in particular, a prototype of a small domestic micro-ORC CHP power plant with four variants of vapour microturbines and three types of multi-fuel boilers; solutions for innovative fermentation and utilisation bioreactors; SOFC fuel cell systems coupled with a biomass gasification system; and prototypes of small wind power plants and low-fall picoturbines.

This award is one of the most renowned and prestigious ecological honours. Projects from around the world that aim to conserve and protect natural resources or utilise renewable energy are submitted for the award. The purpose of the award is to highlight successful sustainability projects to the wider community and demonstrate that effective solutions already exist for many of our environmental issues, which can be implemented in other parts of the world.

The gala at which Prof. Jan Kiciński and Grzegorz Żywica, Ph.D., Eng., received the award took place in Tehran from 19 to 21 January 2016 during the 16th Energy Globe World Awards. The ENERGY GLOBE certificate is an international identity mark for organisations committed to sustainable development.