Hunter students prepare to take on Australia and the world at Hydrogen Grand Prix Finals
- intouch Magazine
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
Students from eight Hunter schools will compete in final local race of the H2 Grand Prix (H2GP) ahead of the NSW semi-final of the world’s largest hydrogen competition, which sees 8,000 students from 25 countries compete to be the number one school globally.
This is the first time the Hunter has been represented in the H2GP, with Port of Newcastle funding students from Warners Bay High School, Rutherford Technology High School, Irrawang High School, Merewether High School, and Callahan College Waratah Campus.
Over the past six months, students have been testing and building hydrogen remote control cars, with academics and students from the University of Newcastle’s chemical engineering department mentoring each high school. Today’s race will see students testing their cars locally for a final race at Newcastle On-Road Radio Control Car Club.
The winner of the NSW semi-final, being held in Wollongong in July, secures a place among Australia’s best teams bound for the world final in Germany in August, where they’ll compete with schools from across the globe in what has been likened to the ‘hydrogen Olympics’.
The Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley, said the Year 9 and 10 students represented the Hunter’s next generation of leaders.
“Port of Newcastle has brought this global clean energy racing competition right here to our region for the very first time,” the Minister said.
“With more than 8,000 students from 25 countries competing side by side, this is a huge step in the Hunter being put on the map as a hub for innovation and sustainability.
“The Hydrogen Grand Prix is much more than just a race – it marks the beginning of an exciting journey for our next generation of clean energy leaders,” the Minister added.
“I’m incredibly proud of our students for their dedication and passion, and I’m confident they will lead the Hunter and Australia towards a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
The H2GP is a school-based science and engineering competition, which was started in the United States and Czech Republic in 2015 by Horizon Educational. The program educates students about renewable technologies and climate change, with a focus on hydrogen fuel cells.
Port of Newcastle CEO, Craig Carmody, who was inspired to bring the global competition to the Hunter while attending the 2024 World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, said the program has unearthed a wealth of regional talent.
“Since we started the H2GP program late last year, it’s been clear that we have some of the world’s sharpest STEM minds here in the Hunter.
“With our Clean Energy Precinct on track to become operational by 2030, today’s students will become the Precinct’s future workforce.
“The Clean Energy Precinct is central to the Hunter Region’s diversification and it’s incredibly important that Port of Newcastle is supporting the education sector in training future workers – early engagement is critical.
“Through the H2GP program, and with the support of our local schools and the University of Newcastle, we’re inspiring and nurturing the next generation of clean energy engineers, designers, technicians, leaders, and thinkers,” Mr Carmody said.
Rutherford Technology High School’s Sommer Hughes, said she was excited to be involved.
“We’re so excited to be involved in such an amazing competition. You’re always going to have those nerves as well, but the excitement is definitely outweighing them!”
Warners Bay High School, Rutherford Technology High School, Irrawang High School, Merewether High School, and Callahan College Waratah Campus teams will compete against other NSW schools in the NSW Final on 2 July at the University of Wollongong. The winner of the endurance race will represent Australia at the H2GP World Final in Chemnitz, Germany, from 20-27 August 2025.
