Back in March 2022, the four fantastic winners were announced for Shell’s 2021 NXplorers competition in UAE.

Students across the UAE were challenged to design and showcase innovative and pioneering solutions that had two key goals: reduce food wastage and develop sustainable energy. Every team was mentored by a Shell industry expert.

"Students are the future. If you don’t inspire them tomorrow, they won’t be able to find solutions to the problems that we leave behind." Muhammad Junaid, student at AUS.

The country has identified food waste as a major roadblock to food security. Energy storage is seen as key to overcoming the problem of intermittent power produced from renewable energy sources.

The Most Innovative Award in the High School category was won by Greenwood International School. Their amazing students came up with Ucyle under the mentorship of Harris Shah.

Students formed a team aptly named, Fantastic 12, to come up with ideas as to how to collect and encourage food waste disposal. Its vision is to reduce waste in households, restaurants, and supermarkets by 40 per cent. This will be achieved by setting up an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant. The team also wants to make food disposal easier by installing bins in every neighbourhood, restaurant, and supermarket. Recycling bin lorries will collect and deliver the food waste to the AD plant. The waste will be converted into biogas and fertiliser.