Two PhD Graduates from the Department of Energy Recognized at the 2026 SPE Italian Section Awards
An important recognition has been awarded to two PhD graduates from the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano during the ceremony for the “Gustavo Sclocchi” and “Ettore Carcione” awards, organized by the SPE Italian Section to recognize outstanding theses in the fields of energy, sustainability, and geothermal technologies.
Among the award recipients were Tristan Leonard Merbecks and Noraiz Mushtaq, both of whom completed their doctoral studies within the Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology (STEN) PhD programme at Politecnico di Milano.
Ettore Carcione Award for Tristan Leonard Merbecks
Tristan Leonard Merbecks received the 2026 Ettore Carcione Award for the best PhD thesis with his dissertation entitled “Design and Operation of a Binary ORC Power Plant for the Exploitation of Single and Two-Phase Geothermal Resources”.
The award recognizes research carried out within the European project EASYGO (Efficiency and Safety in Geothermal Operations), funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, under the supervision of Paola Bombarda, researcher at the Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano, and Martin O. Saar, Full Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zürich, with contributions from international academic and industrial partners.
The thesis addresses one of the key challenges of the energy transition: improving the efficiency and sustainability of geothermal energy exploitation. The research led to the development of innovative modelling and simulation tools for the analysis of geothermal fluids and power plant performance, enabling a comprehensive comparison between conventional geothermal systems and binary Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technologies.
The results demonstrate how these technologies can effectively increase energy efficiency, improve the management of non-condensable gases, and reduce the environmental impact of geothermal power generation, contributing to the development of more sustainable energy systems.
Excellent prize for Noraiz Mushtaq in the Gustavo Sclocchi Award
Noraiz Mushtaq received an important recognition within the 2026 Gustavo Sclocchi Award for his PhD thesis “Supersonic Inlet Turbines for Rotating Detonation Engines”, developed under the supervision of Paolo Gaetani, Full Professor at the Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano.
The research focuses on advanced energy technologies and investigates the use of supersonic inlet turbines in rotating detonation engines, one of the most promising solutions in high-efficiency energy conversion. The work led to the development of new methodologies for the design, optimization, and simulation of these innovative turbines, helping to address some of the key technological challenges associated with their integration into next-generation energy systems. The results open new perspectives for the application of rotating detonation engines in both power generation and advanced propulsion systems.
Recognizing Excellence in Research
The achievements of Tristan Leonard Merbecks and Noraiz Mushtaq highlight the quality of the research carried out within the Department of Energy and the STEN PhD programme, as well as Politecnico di Milano’s ability to contribute to the major challenges of the energy transition through cutting-edge research, international collaborations, and strong engagement with industry.
The 2026 edition of the awards also recognized other students and researchers from Politecnico di Milano, further confirming the University’s leading role in research on energy systems, geothermal technologies, CO₂ management, and sustainability.
The award ceremony took place on 22 May 2026 at Politecnico di Milano, as part of the initiatives promoted by the SPE Italian Section together with the institutional and industrial partners supporting the two awards.
