HeroX, an open crowdsourcing platform, today launched its latest competition, "The Carbon Zero Grand Challenge". The challenge seeks to incentivize innovative solutions that can help PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, achieve net-zero emissions and scale to other water facilities around the globe.
The global water sector contributes approximately 5 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but has not yet received significant attention in climate debates. Although Singapore's local water sector emissions represent less than 1.5 percent of the city-state's total emissions, in today's climate, every effort to reduce carbon emission contributes toward the fight against climate change.
Through the power of open innovation, PUB is seeking carbon capture, utilization, removal and other solutions at any technology readiness level that can be integrated with its operations and reach commercial scale within a decade or sooner.
PUB Chief Sustainability Officer, Chong Mien Ling said, "PUB's ambition is to achieve net zero emissions by mid-century and we have mapped out a strategy to close the carbon loop by using more clean renewable energy and reducing the energy consumption of PUB's water treatment processes. Without the luxury of space as a small country, it is important to think creatively and embrace technology. Through this open innovation challenge, we are inviting researchers and companies from around the world to co-create carbon sequestration and utilization technologies that can be integrated with PUB's operations. We hope to see game-changing solutions that can meet the operational needs of water utilities, while at the same time, capable of reducing carbon emissions."
The Grand Challenge will have two phases of competition and a pilot-scale demonstration and will award up to S$6.5 million (approximately US$4.8 million). Ideal solutions will address PUB's specific net-zero goals while also being applicable to water facilities around the globe.
The Challenge: The Carbon Zero Grand Challenge seeks to focus the attention of innovators, investors, and thought leaders on water sector emissions in order to accelerate the deployment of innovative solutions to address Singapore's net zero carbon emission goals and scale to water facilities around the globe.
