Finalist award: £49,920
Winner award: £449,640
Led by: University of St Andrews School of Chemistry
Humanity’s release of greenhouse gases like CO2 is causing rapid climate change, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events. Wastewater treatment plants also release large amounts of greenhouse gases, principally methane and nitrous oxide, both of which are much more potent than CO2. To help meet the water sector’s responsibility to reduce these emissions, we aim to capture these gases and consume them in fuel cell systems. Fuel cells are similar to batteries and could convert the chemical energy of methane and nitrous oxide into electrical energy, so simultaneously destroying these greenhouse gases and generating useful clean electricity.
The University of St Andrews School of Chemistry was announced as one of 10 winners in the Water Discovery Challenge on 20 February 2024 – read more in the announcement blog.
