Singapore's National Water Agency Crowdsources with HeroX to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions from Water System

US$4.8M Prize Purse to Be Awarded for Innovative Solutions to Address Emissions from Water Facilities

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Oct 19, 2021, 08:36 ET

HOUSTON, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HeroX, the leading platform and open marketplace for crowdsourced solutions, today launched the crowdsourcing 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% 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% 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.

"We know from the latest IPCC report that all sectors must think seriously about carbon emissions if we are to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C," said Kal Sahota, CEO of HeroX. "By leveraging HeroX's vast network of problem solvers, PUB is focusing the attention of innovators, investors, and thought leaders on water sector emissions and providing an excellent example of how even small contributions to net-zero initiatives can have meaningful impact."

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.

The Prize: S$6.5 million, the equivalent of approximately US$4.8 million.

To accept the challenge, visit www.herox.com/PUBCarbonZero.

ABOUT HEROX
HeroX is a platform and open marketplace for crowdsourcing innovation and human ingenuity, co-founded in 2013 by serial entrepreneur, Christian Cotichini and XPRIZE Founder and Futurist, Peter Diamandis. HeroX offers a turnkey, easy-to-use platform that supports anyone, anywhere, to solve everyday business and world challenges using the power of the crowd. Uniquely positioned as the Social Network for Innovation, HeroX is the only place you can build, grow and curate your very own crowd.

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SOURCE HeroX