Donegal student wins EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award at SciFest regional final
Klara Piechocka impressed judges with her project, ‘Harnessing Donegal’s Coastal Wealth’, which focused on sustainable seaweed harvesting for biodiesel production
A student from St Columba’s Comprehensive School in Glenties has been awarded the prestigious EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award after showcasing her project at the SciFest@College 2026 regional competition at Atlantic Technological University Donegal.
Students from schools across Donegal and neighbouring counties gathered with their teachers and fellow students to compete in the annual STEM fair exhibiting innovative projects spanning health, physics, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
Klara Piechocka impressed judges with her project, ‘Harnessing Donegal’s Coastal Wealth’, which focused on sustainable seaweed harvesting for biodiesel production.
SciFest@College is a nationwide series of STEM fairs for second-level students, held across 16 regional colleges across Ireland. Now celebrating its twentieth year, SciFest continues to enable students to showcase their creativity and talents in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
As a long-standing SciFest partner, EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland electricity system, presents the Cleaner Climate Award to recognise the vital role that young people play in building a more sustainable future. The award honours a project that demonstrates both technical excellence and a meaningful contribution to energy and environmental sustainability.
Congratulating the winner on her successful project, Orlaith Diamond, Head of Sustainability at EirGrid, said: “For twenty years SciFest has been a driving force in sparking curiosity and innovation among second level students, and we are incredibly proud to continue supporting this important initiative.
As we continue to work towards the Government target of ensuring eighty percent of Ireland’s electricity comes from renewable sources, we recognise that nurturing the next generation of problem solvers and innovators is essential to building a clean, resilient energy system.
“EirGrid is at the forefront of delivering Ireland’s climate ambitions, and the enthusiasm shown by the students at ATU Donegal today reflects a growing passion for environmental and renewable energy solutions. Congratulations to Klara on her award.”