COGEN Europe has recognised seven individuals for their outstanding contribution to cogeneration, at the COGEN Europe Recognition Awards 2016, held earlier this summer. The awards are seen as an opportunity for the sector to acknowledge the individuals and organisations whose achievements in developing, applying and promoting cogeneration go beyond the norm and lead the sector forward.

This year’s COGEN Europe Recognition Awards ceremony was held in Milan, Italy, as an official event of POWER-GEN Europe and of the European Commission’s Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW 2016). The Awards ceremony allowed members and other registered participants to be exposed to the best cogeneration projects across Europe in various categories, and to be informed on the latest policy developments as regards energy efficiency, energy regulation and the circular economy.

Six awards were presented this year:

• the Award for Policy Development went to Wolfgang Axthammer, Managing Director of NOW GmbH (Germany’s National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology);
• the Award for Market Development was won jointly by Andreas Halberschmidt, Project Leader at Stadtwerke Kiel AG, and Johannes Nowak, Head of Energy Management and Efficiency at MVV Umwelt GmbH;
• the Award for individuals having most contributed to Market Development went to Vladimir Bajan, Mayor of the Petržalka district of Bratislava;
• the Award for Technology and Innovation went to Paolo Bertuzzi, CEO of Turboden SpA; and
• a special Award for Lifetime Achievement went to Fiona Riddoch, former Managing Director of COGEN Europe.

COGEN Europe Chairman Phil Piddington said in a statement that this year’s nominees and winners demonstrated that cogeneration was key to deliver on Europe’s climate and energy objectives and had strong potential for further innovation. “This year’s awards paint the picture of a diverse CHP sector, with exemplary projects and individuals making a difference across European countries, delivering innovative technologies, using diverse fuels efficiently and contributing to policy that harnesses CHP potential. This further confirms that Member States should be more motivated than ever to pursue energy efficiency and decarbonisation, having an energy systems approach in mind,” he said.