Students from all over Queensland will gather at CQUniversity in Rockhampton to turn up the heat on solar power generation and explain how the energy can be a secure source of electricity.

The 18 students have been selected to take part in the first ever Brighter Futures Make It Now Engineering (MINE) Challenge where they use digital technology including drones, data modelling, robotics and 3D printing to solve real problems relating to solar power generation.

Students will present their findings to representatives from CQUniversity Rockhampton, Adani Australia Renewables and Federal MP for Capricornia Michelle Landry today after a week-long camp experiencing campus life.

“A bonus is that students will experience the life of a university student, living on campus, working in laboratories and completing projects to strict deadlines,” said CQUniversity’s Provost Helen Huntley.

“This will help prepare them for the realities of university life,” she said.

The event, made possible by Adani Australia, is run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy, the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

Adani Australia Renewables CEO Jennifer Purdie said Adani Australia is proud to partner with Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA).

“We’re very proud to participate in this event. We are confident this activity will have a lasting effect on students and encourage them into engineering-related university courses and careers,” Ms Purdie said.

“It’s very rewarding to see what the students come up with during the various challenges.”

Adani Renewables Australia’s Rugby Run Solar Farm Project is now under construction near Moranbah and will be operational late 2018. It will produce 65MW of renewable energy in its first phase with the capacity to expand to 170MW.

The QMEA is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. It has 46 schools throughout Queensland.

QRC is the peak representative body for Queensland ‘s resource sector. The Queensland resources sector provides one in every six dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16,400 businesses across the state, all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.

Photos https://www.flickr.com/photos/159564915@N07/sets/72157668964840227

Media contact: Anthony Donaghy 0412 450 360

Schools attending:

The Cathedral College Rockhampton

Middlemount Community College

North Rockhampton State High School

Gladstone State High School

Blackwater State High School

Moura State High School

Tannum Sands State High School

Nanango State High School

Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie)

Rockhampton State High School