Two Canadian Universities Among Finalists in International Hydrogen Design Competition

OTTAWA – Project teams from the University of Waterloo and McMaster University in Hamilton are among the five finalists in the international Hydrogen Student Design Contest being held in the United States. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) provided $5,000 in support for the contest.

This contribution reflects the Government of Canada's support for the development of innovative technologies to reduce emissions and adapt to environmental change. By establishing such partnerships between the public, academia and private sector, the government is helping to foster cooperation in advancing clean energy technologies.

The two universities are participating in an annual competition sponsored by the National Hydrogen Association (NHA). This year, competing teams are being judged on their ideas for the best hydrogen applications for airports that address issues of noise, air pollution and groundwater contamination.

"With two of our universities among the five finalists, Canada is certainly well represented in this international competition," said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. "We're proud of our teams from Waterloo and McMaster. And our government is proud to support their work, which represents the type of innovation that Canada needs to meet our future energy challenges."

"We are very proud of our team's success," said Adel Sedra, Dean of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. "The NHA competition provides an excellent opportunity for Waterloo engineering students to enhance their technical and team project skills and gain further experience in the emerging field of the hydrogen economy."

Twenty-three university teams from eight countries took part in the competition. Representatives from the five finalist teams will attend the NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference in Sacramento, California, to present their designs and receive awards.

"We extend our congratulations to the McMaster team and all those who are competing," said David Wilkinson, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University. "Competitions such as these provoke students to put forward innovative ideas that address today's concerns from both technological and social perspectives."