Youth-Driven Turbine Innovation Paving the Highway to Renewables

Imagine a world where our highways not only serve as paths for transportation but also as renewable energy powerhouses, propelling us towards a greener and more sustainable future. This vision is becoming a reality, thanks to the brilliant minds of 3 young innovators, Abdullah Al Araf (25), Johora Gulshan Arah (25), and Rahat Uddin (25) from Bangladesh who are shaking up the energy landscape with their revolutionary creation – the BD Highway Turbine!  

In today's ever-changing world, energy plays a pivotal role in a country's development. While first-world nations have harnessed abundant energy to drive transformative changes, other countries, like Bangladesh, face the challenges of depleting conventional sources like oil, natural gas, and coal. It is crucial to chart a path towards climate neutrality, and renewable energy sources hold the key to achieving this goal.  

The BD Highway Turbine, a cutting-edge solution developed by forward-thinking minds, stands as a beacon of hope for a sustainable tomorrow. This remarkable innovation embraces vertical axis technology and taps into the immense power generated by fast-moving vehicles on our roads, such as trucks and buses, ingeniously harnessing the wind pressure to create clean and renewable energy.  

Unlike conventional horizontal wind turbines, which produce noise and pose environmental threats to flying wildlife, such as birds and bats, the vertical turbines employed by BD Highway Turbine offer a promising solution to these challenges. What's more, BD Highway Turbine proves to be an ideal partner for solar energy. Wind and solar exhibit natural opposing patterns during energy generation, making them a perfect combination to ensure a continuous and reliable power supply, especially when solar power may not be as effective during nighttime or winter seasons.  
 

The journey of this innovative solution began within the nurturing walls of the Generation Unlimited incubation through the imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge, where these 3 young innovators were mentored to transform raw ideas into tangible prototypes. The program also presented these innovative minds with an opportunity to present their innovation at the Bangladesh Bussiness innovation summit, where they captivated industry CEOs with their awe-inspiring vision of renewable energy lighting up the nation.  

“Now we are working to develop a new way to use renewable energy," the team said. "We will be bringing you to the smart and renewable cities of the future.” 

BD Highway Turbine's innovative technology extends beyond energy generation. Equipped with built-in sensors and an advanced IoT platform, it measures crucial city parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind, and CO2 levels. These vital measurements are harnessed to create a comprehensive carbon footprint map, empowering cities to make informed decisions for a more sustainable and comfortable future. Additionally, through a user-friendly mobile app, real-time information on energy generation and BD Highway Turbine's measurements is made accessible to anyone seeking to be a part of this green revolution. 

To further expand renewable energy in Bangladesh, BD highway turbine s continuing to explore other contexts where their vertical axis wind turbine technology can be applied to generate wind power. They have made another model prototype which is for the coastal areas and riversides. Their indigenous technology has been installed experimentally on the Marine Drive Road of Cox's Bazar and observation work is going on.