FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tulsa, Okla., USA – The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Foundation today congratulates the winners of AAPG's 2025 Sustainable Development in Energy Competition (SDEC), recognizing projects that harness the creativity of geoscience students and young professionals to improve the world around them.

The competition, now in its fourth year, attracted participants from across the globe who developed practical, innovative solutions to address specific energy and environmental challenges. This year's program was enhanced by a 10-week venture lab that provided finalists with faculty-led coaching, industry mentorship, and entrepreneurship training.

"Expanding global access to reliable and affordable energy while delivering environmental sustainability represents a defining challenge of the 21st century," said Jim McGhay, chair of the AAPG Foundation Board of Trustees. "We're grateful to Chevron Corporation for their continued sponsorship of this program that empowers the next generation of energy innovators."

2025 SDEC Winners

First Place ($5,000): Team CH4Gen1 (Philippines)

Project: Design and Development of a Modular & Mobile Food Waste Digester for Biomethane & Biofertilizer Generation

This innovative system converts food waste into methane and organic fertilizer, addressing both waste management and sustainable agriculture needs.

Second Place ($3,000): Juan David Palma Montealgre (Colombia)

Project: Eggshells for Sustainable Mining: REEs and Hydroxyapatite as Byproducts of Geothermal Energy Systems

This novel methodology integrates rare earth element extraction into geothermal systems using recycled eggshells, bridging alternative energy and sustainable mineral extraction.

Third Place ($2,000): Team ENERGON (India)

Project: Biomass Valorization

The team developed a process to convert agricultural waste into valuable bio-products including bio-paper, bio-cutlery, green hydrogen, and bio-fertilizers through advanced perovskite photocatalysis.

Program Impact and Growth

The SDEC invites undergraduate students, graduate students, and young professionals with fewer than two years of experience to submit proposals addressing energy sector challenges. The program's broad scope encourages creative, cross-disciplinary approaches to complex problems.

"The program has grown significantly over the past few years, and I was impressed by the worldwide participation, but more impressed with the innovative ideas and projects presented," said Rick Fritz, executive director of the AAPG Foundation.

A key enhancement to the 2025 competition was the introduction of a comprehensive venture lab program, led by SDEC co-chair Tunbosun Afolayan and Pro Ally.

"The venture lab component proved transformational for our finalists," said SDEC co-chair Elvira Gomez. "The best-in-class training they received improved the viability of their proposals, and the focused preparation for delivering their project pitches greatly enhanced their presentations. The result was not just great projects, but also the development of future energy leaders."

Each winning team will provide progress reports over the next six months, tracking the real-world implementation of their solutions.

About the AAPG Foundation

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation is a permanent non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation supporting educational and scientific activities in the field of geology. Since 1967, the Foundation has promoted geoscience education by providing funding for educational and research programs that benefit the geologic profession and the general public, with particular emphasis on cultivating a strong and vibrant community of students and professionals focused on petroleum geoscience, energy minerals, and environmental geoscience.

For more information about the AAPG Foundation and its programs, visit foundation.aapg.org.

For additional details about the 2025 SDEC winners and their projects, visit foundation.aapg.org/sdec-2025.

Media Contact: Susie Nolen, Foundation and Programs Team Lead, Tel:  +1-918-560-2634, Email:  [email protected]