Aberdeen Science Centre has launched its Platforms of Tomorrow Challenge, tasking school pupils with inventing methods to reuse decommissioned oil platforms for a new and sustainable purpose.
The initiative, which is part of Aberdeen Science Centre’s North Sea Collaboration Project with Norway’s Vitenfabrikken (The Science Factory), will see the partners engage with more than 500 P5-P7 and S1-S3 pupils from schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, as well as Rogoland, Norway.
Pupils, working alone or in groups, are invited to build models from LEGO, or similar building materials, showcasing their ideas for reimagining disused oil platforms in innovative and environmentally friendly ways and can submit these for the competition using drawings or videos.
They can choose to redesign an entire platform for a new use, or just a single aspect of it, with the only requirement being that the platforms be self-sufficient in their energy use.
The pupils will then go on to present their designs to a panel of judges in the hopes of winning the grand prize of £1,000 for a green initiative in their school or local area.
The students behind the judges’ favourite entries will also each receive a VIP-pass to their local science centre.
Fiona Dobie, schools engagement co-ordinator at Aberdeen Science Centre, invited children to think outside the box when coming up with their solutions for breathing new life into existing energy infrastructure.
She said: “Creativity will be such an important part of how we meet net zero targets and coming up with solutions for how we can recycle retired oil platforms for a new, environmentally friendly purpose will hopefully get pupils thinking about how they can contribute to the energy transition in the future. Young people will truly be the driving force behind our decarbonisation efforts, and we want to play our part in inspiring that initial spark of curiosity towards both energy and sustainability.”
The competition will be open for entries until Friday, October 11, with the judges' presentations taking place at Aberdeen Science Centre and Vitenfabrikken during early November.
Fiona continued: “Through our ‘Platforms of Tomorrow Challenge’, we plan to engage with hundreds of school pupils across Scotland and Norway, facilitating conversations between both young people and adults in both countries about the global climate emergency and what can be done to ensure we achieve a just energy transition.”
Teachers interested in entering their school/class in the challenge can find out more, and register to take part, by visiting https://aberdeensciencecentre.org/events/platforms-of-tomorrow-challenge/.
The North Sea Collaboration Project, which is supported by international energy company Equinor, will explore the innovative carbon emissions reduction solutions being developed by Scotland and Norway as they seek to address the global climate emergency.
Arne Gürtner, senior vice president upstream at Equinor UK, said: “This is a really exciting pilot project which Aberdeen Science Centre has embarked upon with Vitenfabriken in Norway, and we are proud to be able to play our part in the collaborative efforts between the two centres.
“Encouraging and challenging young people to invent ways to reuse decommissioned oil platforms is a creative way to engage young minds into thinking sustainably about the energy industry and its future.
“As we journey to net zero, nurturing young people’s interest in STEM subjects – alongside exposure to new technology and innovation – will be crucial as we develop solutions to decarbonise the economy.”
In addition to the Platforms of Tomorrow competition, the project will also see the partners produce a series of educational videos, the first of which will highlight the two countries’ energy transition tactics.
The second will showcase the journey of a Christmas tree that has been gifted by Aberdeen’s twin city in Norway, Stavanger, to the city centre’s Castlegate area, highlighting the vast array of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) involvement in the tree’s journey to Scotland.
The two centres will also participate in knowledge and resourcing sharing exercises which will include staff members visiting their counterpart science centre for learning and shadowing programmes in each country throughout the project’s pilot year.
Based on Constitution Street near Aberdeen beach, ASC is home to almost 65 interactive exhibits, allowing people of all ages to discover topics including Space, Energy, Life Sciences, Engineering, and much more.
Open seven days a week, the VisitScotland 5-star rated visitor attraction also offers exclusive venue hire as well as room hire for corporate, social and private events, alongside corporate sponsorship opportunities.
In addition to corporate hire, Aberdeen Science Centre is the ideal spot to host a birthday party. Catering for five to 12-year-olds, birthday party groups can explore the exhibition floor, take part in hands-on workshops in the centre’s function rooms or Apache-sponsored Lab area and enjoy delicious party food from the onsite cafe, Grub.
To book a visit to the centre or find out more about corporate support, visit https://aberdeensciencecentre.org/