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SDSN and Siemens Gamesa Announce OG2OW: Recommissioning Oil & Gas Platforms to Offshore Wind Energy as the Winner of the ‘Universities for Goal 13’ Competition

At the 2024 High-Level Pre-Summit of the Future Event held at Columbia University in New York alongside the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Siemens Gamesa announced the winning project, OG2OW: Recommissioning Oil & Gas Platforms to Offshore Wind Energy, of the third edition of Universities for Goal 13, a global competition and award promoting university talent in the fight against climate change.

On September 21, SDSN and Siemens Gamesa announced the winner of the ‘Universities for Goal 13’ award, a competition and award promoting university talent in the fight against climate change through disruptive solutions. The winning project, "OG2OW: Recommissioning Oil & Gas Platforms to Offshore Wind Energy” was created by students at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), in Brazil, part of the SDSN Brazil Network.

About the Winning Solution

“OG2OW: Recommissioning Oil & Gas Platforms to Offshore Wind Energy”, developed by a team at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro - PUC-Rio University (Brazil), aims to repurpose offshore oil platforms into wind energy installations, enhancing integration through an interactive decision-making tool. With the goal of addressing two key challenges, the sustainable decommissioning of offshore oil platforms and the advancement of offshore wind energy, the initiative promotes offshore wind for green hydrogen and ammonia production while also advocating for repurposing pipelines for environmental benefits. It integrates macroalgae cultivation on wind structures for ecological innovation, aiming to extend platform lifespans, reduce costs, and advance toward the SDGs.

The winning project was unveiled at the High-Level Pre-Summit of the Future Event, which was celebrated in New York ahead of the Summit of the Future as part of SDSN’s annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD). Watch the award ceremony here.

There to present the award were Jeffrey Sachs, President, SDSN; María Cortés Puch, Vice President for Networks, SDSN; and Maximilian Schnippering, Head of Sustainability, Siemens Gamesa. The winning solution was awarded $10,000 USD for further development and implementation. Here’s what SDSN and Siemens Gamesa representatives had to say:

“Let’s continue promoting sustainability, and be on the right side of history,” remarked Maximilian Schnippering, Head of Sustainability at Siemens Gamesa.

“This is a unique program, the mentorship is incredibly powerful, and this project represents the hands-on engineering and technical knowledge that students need to know to implement transformative solutions,” Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of SDSN affirmed.

A Competition Showcasing the Most Innovative Ideas from SDSN Members

Six universities from SDSN’s Network around the world participated in this third edition, including Tsinghua University, China, jointly with the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Monash University, Australia; Southampton University, the United Kingdom; the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Case Western Reserve University, United States.

From December 2023 through September 2024, twelve teams of students from the participating universities, representing a range of disciplines, worked together to identify and propose an innovative and sustainable solution to a problem in their region. Teams were assisted by top mentors from Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy who helped them improve and refine their initial proposals. Five solutions were nominated as finalists:

  • OG20W: Recommissioning Oil & Gas Platforms to Offshore Wind Energy – This proposal by students at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, aims to promote offshore wind for green hydrogen and ammonia production while also advocating for repurposing pipelines for environmental benefits. Watch the video!
  • Solar Sprout – Led by students at Case Western University, Solar Sprout is an emerging energy and sustainability-oriented startup dedicated to addressing the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions through an "agrivoltaics" approach. Watch the video!
  • Mapping Australia’s Energy Transition (MARET) – Students at Monash University created a web-based tool that aims to facilitate the integration of new renewable technologies into the existing network, with the ultimate goal of increasing renewable energy's dominance in Australia's energy market. Watch the video!
  • Seeds for Thought: Empowering children through hydroponics – Students from Southampton University aim to raise awareness of the concept of hydroponics in K12 education while promoting STEM education and eco-friendly sustainable methods and to encourage younger generations to farm for several purposes to tackle several SDGs. Watch the video!
  • Upcyclothes: a new chance for unwanted garments – Students from The Chinese University of Hong Kong created this project that introduces a more practical, convenient, and sustainable-friendly solution to upcycle used clothes and educate and empower individuals with practical skills to tackle climate change. Watch the video!

The competition and award are a testament to SDSN’s and Siemens Gamesa’s goal of promoting innovative solutions addressing global sustainability challenges.

Looking ahead, SDSN and Siemens Energy are excited to announce the fourth edition of the “Universities for Goal 13 Competition and Award”, which will continue to inspire and empower students and universities worldwide to develop innovative solutions for climate action. In this upcoming edition new universities will be invited to participate. Stay tuned for news!