September 26, 2024
On 26 September, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak presented the Global Energy Prize to the 2024 laureates. They were Chinese-born Professor Zi-Qiang Zhu of Sheffield University (UK), Puerto Rican-born Professor of Chemistry at Cornell University (USA) Héctor Abruña and Professor Minggao Ouyang of Tsinghua University (PRC).
Zi-Qiang Zhu won the Traditional Energy category: for his outstanding contribution to the development of electrified transport, improving the energy efficiency of household appliances and reducing emissions in the generation and use of electricity, as well as the production of energy from renewable sources.
Héctor Abruña was selected in the category ‘Non-conventional Energy’: for fundamental contributions in the fields of electrochemistry, batteries, fuel cells and molecular electronics.
Minggao Ouyang won in the New Energy Applications category: for technical leadership in strategic planning, research, demonstration and commercialization of new energy vehicles, and in particular for addressing technical challenges related to hydrogen fuel cell durability, lithium-ion battery safety and vehicle-to-grid interoperability.
“The studies of this year’s winners, to varying degrees, are devoted to the electrification of key sectors of the economy, including transport and industry. And this is no coincidence: the growing share of electricity in the structure of primary energy demand will be the key trend in the global energy sector in the coming decades. Therefore, developments in this area are becoming more and more relevant,” said Alexander Novak.
The ceremony was also attended by Andrey Ryumin, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Rosseti, which is a member of the Global Energy Association.
“Global Energy has been around for more than 20 years, but the interest in the award has not waned. The geography of participants is as wide as it gets – practically the whole planet. This shows that science knows no borders. Every year we see scientists who offer breakthrough solutions for the electric power industry among the nominees. This time, the winners include authors of works aimed at developing energy storage systems and electric transport, and reducing harmful emissions. Without exaggeration, these are topical issues. The future of the industry largely depends on their solution,” said Andrey Ryumin in his welcome speech.
“The winners of the 2024 Prize are scientists working in China, the United States and Europe. The winners were selected from a shortlist of eleven countries and territories, not to mention that the initial applications came from all parts of the world, including even Oceania. This emphasizes the high international status of the award, which recognizes the best of the best,” stressed Sergey Brilev, President of the Global Energy Association.
“I would like to thank the Global Energy International Committee for such a prestigious award. I would like to say thank you to my family, students, colleagues at the University of Sheffield and industry partners for their continued support. My research focuses on electrical machines and control systems, particularly permanent magnet machines and drives. Due to their energy efficiency and high power output, their use has had a major impact on the development of a carbon-neutral economy. They are used, for example, in electric transport, including electric cars, trains, ships and aircraft, in the utilisation and production of energy from renewable sources such as wind power, as well as in industrial drives, robots, automation systems and household appliances. This has had a major impact on society through increased efficiency and associated reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,” Zi-Qiang Zhu said in a video message.
“It is truly amazing for me to be present at this ceremony. I accept this award on behalf of all the people who, over the past 41 years, have made it possible through their creativity, hard work and dedication. I would also like to emphasize that solving the world’s energy problems requires the efforts and dedication of all countries. We must unite in the face of global energy challenges,” said Héctor Abruña.
“I am honoured to receive this award. My team and I have been involved in the energy sector for more than 30 years, focusing on strategic planning, research, testing and commercialization of new energy vehicles. I am deeply grateful for the trust and support from my team, family, colleagues and the Global Energy Association. I will continue to move forward and spare no effort to promote the development of new energy sources,” said Minggao Ouyang.
