AKS awards mycosuisse and eoc energy ocean
Lucerne/Emmenbrücke - The Albert Koechlin Foundation (AKS) has presented its Environment Award 2024 to the competence center mycosuisse and eoc energy ocean. The award comes with prize money of 40,000 Swiss francs for each winner.
The Albert Koechlin Foundation has presented its Environment Award at Le Théâtre in Emmen in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. This year’s winners are mycosuisse and eoc energy ocean GmbH. The prize has been awarded since 2005 and comes with prize money of 40,000 Swiss francs for each winner.
Mycosuisse is a competence center for applied mycology located in Emmenbrücke, also in the Swiss canton of Lucerne, that develops various products on the basis of fungal mycelia. The founder, Patrik Mürner, is currently responsible for leading a project in which fungi, among other things, are being used to rehabilitate zinc-contaminated soil layers. «Receiving the AKS Environmental Award is motivation for us to pursue visions and hold on to ideas - even if we are ahead of the times», as Mürner states in a press release issued by the foundation. As co-founder of the company mycostrat, Patrik Mürner has become a specialist in the area of environmentally friendly building and materials made from fungal mycelia. He is also developing agricultural processes on the basis of mycorrhiza, i.e. communities of soil fungi and plant roots, to treat seedlings and trees.
The Lucerne-based eoc energy ocean GmbH produces and sells Swiss biochar. It transforms woody biomass obtained from forestry activities or composting plants into biochar. The energy released in the process can be used for heating and to generate electricity. Biochar also improves soil quality and helps to reduce methane and nitrogen emissions, in addition to binding CO2 and storing water in green spaces. Co-founder Sylvan Oehen appreciates the trust and recognition that this award signifies: «They strengthen our approach to using carbon in the right way as one of the central elements of human life».
