From October 29 to November 2, the final round of the 14th "Challenge Cup" QinChuangYuan Platform National College Students' Entrepreneurship Competition was held at Xi'an Jiaotong University, co-hosted by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the China Association for Science and Technology, the National Student Federation, and the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government, and organized by Xi'an Jiaotong University and the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League. This year's competition attracted more than 2,700 universities nationwide, with over 3 million students actively participating, and more than 390,000 innovative and entrepreneurial projects were submitted. After multiple rounds of selection, 839 projects advanced to the national final. South China University of Technology had three projects enter the national final, winning 1 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze awards, once again lifting the 'Excellence Cup' of the national competition.

Among these, the project "Green Energy Ammonia — Pioneering Pollution Control and Ammonia Production Integrated Technology to Assist Wastewater Valorization" guided by staff from the School of Environment and Energy, including Professor Chen Yan, won a national silver award. This was the first time that the School of Environment and Energy participated in the national final of this competition and won an award.

The team photo at the final held at Xi'an Jiaotong University: From left to right, the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Environment and Energy, Wu Honghui, project member Zhang Yingqing, project leader Su Jiayu, project member Cao Qiwu, and Vice Dean of the School of Environment and Energy, Chen Yan.

At the final, the Green Energy Ammonia team competed alongside other university teams from across the country, showcasing highly creative and innovative entrepreneurial solutions. The Green Energy Ammonia team is committed to advancing pollution reduction, carbon reduction, and wastewater valorization. They innovatively proposed an integrated pollution control and ammonia production technology, which uses electrochemical methods to directly convert pollutants like nitrate into ammonia, a carbon-reducing energy source. This technology achieves complete removal of nitrate pollutants, significantly reduces pollution control costs, and decreases the energy consumption of pollution control. Treating high-concentration wastewater, generating carbon-reducing energy, protecting national health, and creating a dual-carbon future!

Pre-competition Training and Refinement

It is reported that the core members of this project come from the second batch of "Model Party Branch" creation and cultivation units at South China University of Technology — the undergraduate party branch. This party branch implements the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, fully leveraging the guiding role of party building. It continuously promotes the integration of party building with student scientific research and competition, fostering high-quality talents with innovative spirit and practical abilities. In recent years, in addition to this award, the student teams of the School of Environment and Energy have also won the national gold awards in the 9th and 10th China International College Students' Innovation Competition, the national second prize in the 18th "Challenge Cup" National College Students' Extracurricular Academic and Scientific Works Competition, the first prize in the National College Students' Energy-saving and Emission-reduction Social Practice and Technology Competition, and the only special prize in the Yida National Creative Competition, among other important innovation and entrepreneurship competition awards.

Team Basic Information:

Project Name: Green Energy Ammonia — Pioneering Pollution Control and Ammonia Production Integrated Technology to Assist Wastewater Valorization

Competition Group: Ecological Civilization Construction and Green Low-carbon Development

Guiding Teachers: Chen Yan, Zhou Yuhong, Feng Chunhua, Wu Honghui, Li Wenjie

Team Members: Su Jiayu, Cao Qiwu, Jin Mingxin, Zhou Yihan, Wang Hongfei, Chen Bingbing, Wang Yining, Zhang Yingqing, Zhong Wenye, Gong Zhiheng, Chen Peiyan, Duan Weijian, Wei Jingyi, Wang Houmengya

Text and Image: School of Environment and Energy

First Review: Li Wenjie

Second Review: Lü Xiaoting

Final Review: Wu Honghui