Tsinghua scholar wins top energy award

The Global Energy Prize International Award Committee announced on July 9 the winners of this year's prize in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, with the award in the conventional energy category going to a Chinese scholar.

He Jinliang, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University and director of the Institute of High Voltage and Insulation Technology, was honored for his outstanding contributions to ultrahigh voltage transmission technology.

His achievements include breakthroughs in key technologies and core equipment for electromagnetic transient overvoltage protection in transmission systems, as well as pioneering work in high-capacity direct current transmission pipelines and low-carbon, eco-friendly power cables.

In a video speech, He said the honor was not his alone, but a testament to the collective endeavor of many great minds advancing sustainable energy supply.

"This award illuminates a shared vision to power the world safely and efficiently," he said. "My team and I have sought to confront two defining challenges enabling reliability and efficiency of extra and ultrahigh voltage power transmission."

Xiao Liye, a member of the International Award Committee, said this marks the third consecutive year Chinese scientists and researchers have received the award — a tremendous encouragement for their peers in the field of energy technology.

"It plays a crucial role in promoting international collaboration in energy technology research and development, particularly in strengthening scientific and technological cooperation and exchange between China and Russia in the energy sector," Xiao said.

Pioneering breakthroughs

The prize in the nonconventional energy category was awarded to Huang Yu, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles.

She is acclaimed for pioneering breakthroughs in catalyst design that dramatically enhance the cost-efficiency, durability and performance of fuel cells simultaneously, accelerating the global transition to clean energy.

Russian scientist Vladislav Khomich, head of research at the Institute of Electrophysics and Electric Power of the Russian Academy of Sciences, received the award in the category of new ways of energy application.

Khomich was commended for his outstanding contributions to the development, creation and fundamental research of plasma technologies and pulsed power energetics.

The recipients of the Global Energy Prize, awarded annually by the Global Energy Association, were selected from a short list of 15 scientists from eight countries.

This year's nomination cycle received 90 submissions from 44 countries and regions. The final decision was made by the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rae-kwon Chung.

"World science is facing global challenges, and it is no exaggeration to say that our ability to quickly solve them will define the future of civilization," said Chung, who is also a professor emeritus at Incheon National University in South Korea.

"The biggest challenges include the transition to clean technologies for the production, storage and transmission of energy, as well as the search for solutions that can effectively combat global climate change."