#Uruguay #Montevideo #Global Energy Prize #Rae Kwon Chung #Energy Science

The 2026 Global Energy Prize Shortlist Released

On June 9, 2026, the Global Energy Association unveiled the shortlist for the 2026 Global Energy Prize, a prestigious honor recognizing exceptional contributions in energy science. This announcement came from Montevideo, Uruguay, highlighting the growing importance of global collaboration in addressing energy challenges.

This year's shortlist features 15 distinguished scientists hailing from nine different countries, specifically Chile, China, Cyprus, India, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These nominees are recognized for their groundbreaking work in various energy fields, reflecting a broad spectrum of expertise and innovation geared towards sustainable energy solutions.

Nomination Process Overview

The announcement of the shortlist marks the conclusion of the second stage in the nomination cycle. Earlier, from January 1 to April 20, 2026, nominations were received from representatives across 30 countries and territories, resulting in nominees from a total of 28 countries. The shortlisted candidates were selected based on scoring, and three primary categories were addressed: Traditional Energy, Non-Traditional Energy, and New Ways of Energy Application.

An international committee, chaired by Nobel laureate Rae Kwon Chung, now faces the task of selecting the final award recipients. Chung emphasized the significance of this year's shortlist, stating, "This year’s shortlist reflects the vast scale of modern energy science. I am confident that many of the submitted projects will have an impact on the development of global energy in the coming decade. Therefore, I congratulate all scientists whose names have been included in the shortlist for the award."

Shortlisted Nominees by Category

Traditional Energy

1. Yilu Liu (U.S.) - Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee.
2. Amit Goyal (U.S.) - Founding Director of the RENEW Institute at SUNY-Buffalo.
3. Haisheng Chen (China) - Director of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
4. Jorge Ancheyta-Juarez (Mexico) - Professor at the National Polytechnic Institute.
5. Alexander Batanov (Russia) - Head and Chief Designer of the Special Design and Technology Bureau of Applied Robotics.

Non-Traditional Energy

1. Bhim Singh (India) - Emeritus Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi.
2. Soteris Kalogirou (Cyprus) - Professor at Cyprus University of Technology.
3. Yushan Yan (U.S.) - Director of the Center for Clean Hydrogen at the University of Delaware.
4. Josep M. Guerrero (China) - Center for Research on Renewable Energy and Microgrids at Zhejiang University.
5. José H. Zagal Moya (Chile) - Professor Emeritus and Director of the Electrocatalysis Laboratory at the University of Santiago.

New Ways of Energy Application

1. Johann W. Kolar (Switzerland) - Professor Emeritus at ETH Zurich.
2. Jun Liu (U.S.) - Director of the Innovation Center for Battery500 Consortium.
3. Yulong Ding (U.K.) - Founding Chamberlain Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.
4. William A. Goddard (U.S.) - Director of the Materials and Process Simulation Center at Caltech.
5. Laura Gagliardi (U.S.) - Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.

Conclusion

The diversity of nominees and their groundbreaking projects underscore the dynamic nature of the energy sector. As we progress towards the final selection, the contributions of these scientists will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of global energy practices. The winner announcement is highly anticipated and is sure to inspire further advancements in the energy arena.