Almetyevsk (Republic of Tatarstan) – Scientists educated in the Chinese academic school who currently work in the United States and a researcher from Switzerland became winners of the Global Energy Prize 2026. Their names were announced at the plenary session of the Oil Summit of the Republic of Tatarstan in Almetyevsk.
In the “Traditional Energy” category, the prize was awarded to Yilu Liu, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee, for the creation of large-scale systems for monitoring, control and situational observation of smart grids.
“I'm deeply honored to be selected as one of the 2026 Global Energy Prize Laureates. To us engineers, it more than made up for the lack of engineering in the Nobel Prize. It will give me newfound energy to contribute to a global energy prosperity,” said Yilu Liu.
In the “Non-Traditional Energy” category, the prize was awarded to Yushan Yan, Director, Center for Clean Hydrogen, University of Delaware, for forward-looking ideas and work facilitating clean hydrogen production technology and progress in transforming this technology into a global commercial project.
•From left, Yilu Liu, Johann Walter Kolar and Yushan Yan, winners of the Global Energy Prize 2026
"It is a tremendous honor to receive the Global Energy Prize 2026. I am deeply grateful to the Committee for this recognition, and I would like to thank my students, postdocs, collaborators, colleagues, and family. I would also like to thank the Center for Clean Hydrogen, Versogen, the University of Delaware and the University of California at Riverside for their support. This award reflects the collective efforts of many talented people who have worked together over many years. I am particularly proud of our work on the Piper Ion Membrane, which has become a global leading brand of ion exchange membranes. Throughout my career, I've been inspired by the belief that creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship can help solve some of humanity's greatest challenges. Developing a clean, affordable, and sustainable energy system is not only a scientific pursuit, but also a responsibility to the future generations. I hope this recognition will inspire more young scientists and engineers to pursue bold ideas and work across disciplines. Together, we can build a cleaner, more sustainable energy future," said Yushan Yan.
In the “New Ways of Energy Application” category, the prize was awarded to Johann W. Kolar, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, for breakthrough advancement in energy conversion technology to drive energy efficiency, electric mobility, and renewable energy systems.
"It is a tremendous honor to receive the Global Energy Prize and I would like to sincerely thank the International Award Committee for this exceptional recognition. I accept the award with great humility because scientific progress is never the achievement of a single individual. It reflects the dedication and creativity of outstanding PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, colleagues, international industry, with whom I had the privilege to work over so many years. I would also like to thank my nominator and especially also my family for the continuous encouragement, the support and the patience over many decades. When I began my research in power electronics, it was considered a specialized engineering discipline. Today, it is a key and enabling technology for the global energy transition. Power electronics forms the intelligent interface between energy generation, transmission, storage and utilization. It enables renewable energy generation, electric mobility, industry automation, robotics, modern data centers and the electrification of energy-intensive industrial processes. To me, the award is both a great honor and a strong motivation. I am very confident that in a collaborative effort across disciplines and nations we together can advance technology and contribute to a more sustainable future," emphasized Johann Walter Kolar.
The winners were selected by the International Award Committee, which comprises leading global energy experts. This year, 15 finalists represented nine countries worldwide. In addition to the United States and Switzerland, the shortlist included scientists from Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Mexico, and Chile.
The laureate announcement ceremony was attended by Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan; Nail Maganov, General Director of Tatneft; Rae Kwon Chung, Chairman of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; and International Committee members Dmitry Bessarabov, William Byun, Anton Maksimov, Nikolay Rogalev, and Rachid Yazami. The event was moderated by Sergey Brilev, President of the Global Energy Association.
"The Global Energy Prize," noted Rustam Minnikhanov, "has earned widespread recognition in the global scientific community. This award is traditionally given to scientists for outstanding research and technological developments in the energy field, as well as for significant contributions to strengthening energy security and implementing energy-saving technologies. Tatarstan is one of Russia's leading industrialized regions, home to major centers of oil production, refining, and petrochemicals. At the same time, the republic places great emphasis on the development of renewable energy sources. Both of these areas are of strategic interest to us as we intend to develop them in parallel. We clearly understand that as hydrocarbon resources become depleted, the importance of renewable energy and resource efficiency will steadily grow."
"We are delighted to host the Global Energy laureate announcement ceremony in Almetyevsk. Science and industry together respond to global challenges, turning bold ideas into real technologies. I congratulate the laureates and wish them new discoveries!" said Nail Maganov.
“On behalf of the International Committee, I sincerely congratulate this year’s laureates. Selecting winners is never easy, especially when it comes to research of such high caliber. The work they have accomplished is distinguished not only by its scientific novelty, but also by the fact that their ideas have already found practical application and are helping to solve real-world challenges in global energy. I would like to thank all the scientists whose research was submitted for the prize, the organisations that nominated candidates, and our colleagues from around the world who continue to advance science by uniting knowledge and experience for the sake of our common future. It is through this collaboration that discoveries capable of changing the lives of millions of people emerge,” said Rae Kwon Chung, Chairman of the International Award Committee, in his congratulatory address.
The official awards ceremony for the laureates will take place as part of the Russian Energy Week, which will be held in Moscow from October 14 to 16, 2026.
