Entrance Research Award: research that advances the energy and mobility transition
Thursday, 18 June marked the very first presentation of the Entrance Research Award by Entrance – Centre of Expertise Energy. Rhea Kapoor and Jorrit Reede won first prize with their paper “NO More! Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Wastewater via Ammonia Electrolysis.” The award was presented during the New Energy Forum.
Research into Ammonia Electrolysis
Both Kapoor and Reede are researchers at Entrance – Centre of Expertise Energy, part of Hanze University of Applied Sciences. They conduct their research within the Sustainable Gases and Fuels research group, led by Professor Joàn Teerling. In their paper, “NO More! Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Wastewater via Ammonia Electrolysis,” Kapoor and Reede investigate how ammonia electrolysis can reduce nitrous oxide emissions in wastewater. Nitrous oxide – commonly known as laughing gas – is a greenhouse gas released during nitrogen removal processes at wastewater treatment plants.
Addressing a Societal Challenge
The jury praised Kapoor and Reede’s research for its combination of societal relevance, scientific quality, and practical applicability. Although it remains uncertain to what extent the laboratory results can be directly translated into real-world applications, the study convincingly demonstrates that electrolysis can achieve results comparable to biological ammonia removal. “The jury sees this as a promising solution to a socially significant challenge,” said Wim Elving, Chair and Secretary of the Entrance Research Award 2026.
Runner-up and Third Prize
The second prize (€1,000) was awarded to Sander Dijk, Marten van der Laan, and Joàn Teerling (Entrance), together with Bastiaan Meijer (Rendo) and Jerry Palmers (Coteq), for their paper “Active Flow Control in Low-Pressure Gas Distribution Networks to Enable Increased Biomethane Integration.” The research addresses a timely and practical challenge within the energy transition: the integration of biomethane into existing low-pressure gas distribution networks.
The third prize (€500) was awarded to Lucas Christopher Mandl-Ehmann (Hanze University of Applied Sciences and the Institute of Networked Energy Systems at the German Aerospace Center (DLR)) for his paper “From MENA to Europe: System-Optimal Hydrogen and Synfuel Trade under Infrastructure and Financing Constraints.” This research provides valuable insights into the further development of sustainable energy infrastructure and makes a meaningful contribution to the European policy debate.
Recognising Research with Impact
With the Entrance Research Award, we aim to recognise research that not only generates new knowledge, but also contributes to practical applications and delivers societal impact.
Researchers will once again be able to submit their papers for the Entrance Research Award 2027 next year. An independent jury will assess all submissions and select three winners. Prize money will amount to €1,500 for the best paper, €1,000 for the runner-up, and €500 for third place.