Athlone students win top climate prize at SciFest regional finals

Two students from Marist College in Athlone have taken home the prestigious EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award following their success at the SciFest regional competition at TUS Athlone.

Third year students, Muhammad Ibrahim Tariq and Hammad Mateen impressed judges with their project entitled ‘The Algae Revolution’, investigating how algae can be used to help reduce CO2 emissions and improve air quality, how algae can be used as a more efficient biofuel, and can also be used to make paper.

Their winning submission was chosen from over 170 projects on show at the college campus event.

Students from schools across Westmeath and neighbouring counties came together with over 350 other second-level students and their teachers to compete in the STEM fair exhibiting projects covering a broad range of topics and disciplines from sports science and AI to renewable energy and physics.

As a partner in SciFest, EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland electricity system, delivers the Cleaner Climate Award as recognition of the critical role young people play in shaping a sustainable future.

The prize is awarded to the student or team whose project demonstrates both technical excellence and a tangible positive impact to energy and environmental sustainability.

Catherine Daly, Sustainability Programme Manager at EirGrid, congratulated the winning entrants on their projects and said the level of engagement from students at TUS Athlone showed" the huge interest there is surrounding the environment and renewable energy."

Muhammad and Hammand will now progress to the SciFest National Final in November, for a chance to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.