Curtin Malaysia team represents Malaysia in MEA Energy Innovation Hub Competition, makes it to the Top 15

Miri – 30 June 2021 – A team from the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) represented Malaysia and was selected as one of the Top 15 finalists in the international Middle East and Africa (MEA) Energy Innovation Hub Competition held recently.

The competition was a virtual initiative within the MEA Energy Innovation Hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) that challenged university students and teachers from around the world to identify and co-create innovative solutions that provide a multi-disciplinary and socially beneficial response to the world’s most immediate energy challenges.

Organised by the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and innovation, digitalisation and enterprise solutions specialists, Barrabés, it aimed to build a collaborative venue for the fostering and acceleration of an ecosystem that creates opportunities in the energy, low carbon, and oil and gas sectors.

The Curtin Malaysia team, which was led by senior lecturer Dr. Bridgid Chin Lai Fui, comprised newly-graduated chemical engineering students Yap Tshun Li and Mahrima Majid, and Adrian Loy Chun Minh from Monash University Australia.

Their submission for the competition titled ‘Deep Decarbonisation Pathway: Sustainable Green Hydrogen Production through Microalgae and Plastic Waste Mixture’ was initiated by Yap and Mahrima, who had conducted preliminary research studies in sustainable green hydrogen for their final-year chemical engineering project under the supervision of Dr. Chin.

More than 100 submissions were received from teams in 17 different countries. The other teams that made it into the Top 15 were from the UAE, Morocco, India and Mexico.

The judges were Ali Abdulla AlAli (UAE Country Chair from Petrofac), Moza Neimi (Director of Productivity and Demand Management at Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE), Mohammad BinAli (Director of Strategy Department at Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA)), Sarah Abdulla (Digital Transformation Lead at Schneider Electric), Daxita Rajcoomar (Chief Sustainability Officer at ENGIE), and Çınar Kurra (Chief Executive Officer at Catalyst, A Masdar-BP Initiative).

All the competition participants will be part of the SRTI Park ecosystem and will join its incubation programme in September. They can also be speakers at one of the monthly events organised to showcase their solutions for smarter, more efficient and more sustainable energy.

Dr. Chin remarked that she is delighted the team’s submission was among the Top 15 ideas chosen. “It is a great opportunity for university teams to help solve urgent energy challenges faced by society today. My teammates and I are honoured to represent Malaysia in this competition and get the chance to showcase our idea in a business model,” she said.

Professor Tuong-Thuy Vu, Dean of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, said that the research led by Dr. Chin highlights the focus of the Faculty in future energies, especially hydrogen power. He added that the Faculty provides a stimulating learning environment that enables students to participate in world-class research led by faculty members while pursuing their studies.

Meanwhile, Professor Nagarajan Ramasamy, Dean of Research and Development and Director for the Curtin Malaysia Research Institute (CMRI) said, “Curtin Malaysia is committed to enhancing research and innovation in green technology, which includes renewable energy, green buildings, sustainable development, recycling and waste management, to meet challenges faced by the people of Sarawak. Dr. Chin and her team’s research will benefit many rural communities in the state.”

Professor Simon Leunig, Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive of Curtin Malaysia, also congratulated the team, saying that it is a huge achievement for Curtin Malaysia to be recognised as being among the world’s best in research and innovation.

(L-R) Dr Bridgid Chin Lai Fui, Yap Tshun Li and Mahrima Majid.

The Curtin Malaysia team that was among the 15 top teams in the MEA Energy Innovation Hub Competition.