MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, July 4, 2024 — The winners of the 2024 Global Energy Prize were announced on July 3. The recipients were Zi-Qiang Zhu, Head of the Electrical Machines and Drives Research Group at the University of Sheffield (UK); Héctor D. Abruña, Emile Chamot Professor of Chemistry at Cornell University (USA); and Minggao Ouyang, Professor at Tsinghua University (China).
Zi-Qiang Zhu was awarded the prize in the Traditional Energy category for his outstanding contributions to electrified transportation, energy efficiency improvements in household appliances, and emission reductions in electric power generation and utilization.
Héctor D. Abruña was recognized in the Non-Traditional Energy category for his foundational contributions to the fields of electrochemistry, batteries, fuel cells, and molecular electronics.
Minggao Ouyang received the award in the New Ways of Energy Application category for his technical leadership in strategic planning, research, demonstration, and commercialization of new energy vehicles. He has been particularly instrumental in addressing technical challenges related to hydrogen fuel cell durability, lithium-ion battery safety, and vehicle-to-grid interaction.
The announcement ceremony was attended by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rae Kwon Chung, as well as members of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, William Byun, Liye Xiao, and Dmitri Bessarabov.
The laureates were chosen by an international award committee comprising scientists from 13 countries: Bolivia, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Hungary, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, UAE, USA.
“The increasing role of electricity in primary energy consumption is a key trend in global energy in recent years. In this context, the research of the laureates is highly relevant today. This once again underscores the close relationship between fundamental and applied science,” stated Rae Kwon Chung, Nobel laureate and Chairman of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in September 2024.