EIT InnoEnergy Master School alumna Agata Horwacik is basking in the well-deserved recognition for her hard work, having won a “Best Master Thesis” award this year! VEA GLOBAL sponsored the award in this competition hosted by the Aragon Hydrogen Foundation. Her thesis “Technological and economical evaluation of hydrogen energy conversion systems based in gas turbines” demonstrates the fantastic new potential of combing hydrogen technology with gas turbines. The development of this thesis has also helped her enter this growing industry, where she now works for a Spanish foundation specialising in hydrogen technologies and other renewable energy projects. She shares her journey so far and offers some well-informed projections for the future of hydrogen!
A winning thesis
Agata first became interested in gas turbines during the Erasmus programme in Spain, after the professor leading a course on Turbomachinery took their class to the Zaragoza airbase. She shares, “It was one of the most interesting trips and really sparked my interest. So later, when studying my second year at the Instituto Superior Técnico of Lisbon (IST), the proposal to combine gas turbines and hydrogen – another topic that I was curious about – seemed a perfect match to explore!” Thrilled with winning Best Master Thesis on combing the two, Agata says, “This thesis demonstrates the potential of this duo; however, most importantly, it not only focuses on the technical aspects but also considers the environmental impact of this solution.”
Opening doors
Agata fondly looks back on her time in the EIT InnoEnergy Master School since she feels the programmes are well-tailored to each student’s background and interests. She shares, “The courses were on a very high level, and my time there created many opportunities and opened a lot of doors for me. It provides students with technical knowledge by allowing us to study at leading universities such as IST and practical knowledge to apply the concepts that we’ve learned and tackle day-to-day problems, which is extremely important. And now, more hydrogen courses are being created since there’s high demand. I know when writing my thesis that the professors from IST provided me with vast knowledge on the rising topic of hydrogen, for which I am forever grateful.”
The future of hydrogen
Agata shares her thoughtful insights about this growing field: “I think the impact of hydrogen can already be seen, as well as with rapid development and implementation of the technology. Many countries have already adapted the hydrogen roadmaps and made specific targets for hydrogen implementation in upcoming years. Recognised as an alternative fuel of excellent properties for many years now, we finally have the tools to make good use of it! It is precisely the right time to utilise the great potential of hydrogen to make this energy transition possible – to shift toward renewable energy at affordable prices hopefully in near future. It’s going to play a significant role in many sectors“. To accelerate value chain cooperation and make green hydrogen a commercially viable solution for a vast array of industries, EIT InnoEnergy is also leading an initiative called the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Centre (EGHAC). The time is right to start an exciting career in this booming field!
Hard work pays off
When asked what her biggest takeaway from winning the Best Master Thesis award has been (aside from the attractive prize money!) Agata says, “Winning has provided me with a great amount of motivation and is something that will push me to keep reaching for my goals and continuing to study. I think learning is most important for constant personal and professional development. If I could share one message, it would be that taking on something like this is always worth the effort – hard work pays off!”
If you’re ready to take on a new challenge, there is still time to apply to an EIT InnoEnergy Master School programme in a field that interests you – and choose a prestigious partner university such as IST Instituto Superior Técnico!