International Energy Week 2026, hosted by the Energy Institute (EI), concluded today with the 27th International Energy Awards, honouring global innovators and leaders driving progress toward a more sustainable energy future.
Organisations Ørsted, Granular Energy and Ukrainian energy company DTEK took home company awards, with Saudi Aramco’s Alaa Alahmed taking home the Young Professional Award.
The Awards Dinner concluded with the presentation of the President’s Award – presented to Lei Zhang, Founder and CEO of Envision - in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the global energy transition.
Commenting, EI President Andy Brown OBE FEI said:
“Lei has played a transformative role in mobilising capital at scale for clean energy - shaping global investment flows and demonstrating that climate action and economic growth are not competing objectives.
“In a week where we have spoken so much about the need for long-term thinking, partnership and courage, Lei exemplifies all three.”
Commenting, Lei Zhang said:
“It is a great honour to join the list of outstanding individuals who have received this award, and it is particularly gratifying to be the first from the private sector to do so.
“I am a great believer in the crucial role that business will play in the renewable energy transition. I believe that Envision embodies that ambition.”
The International Energy Awards recognise outstanding organisations and teams from across the globe who are driving meaningful progress in the sector.
Four further awards were presented: the Young Professional Award, and three project awards celebrating excellence in workforce, technology, and safety by design.
This year, several Honorary Fellowships were also awarded. Honorary Fellowship is the Energy Institute’s highest membership grade, awarded by the Energy Institute Council to a select group of individuals of longstanding distinction. to:
- Catherine MacGregor HonFEI, Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE, for her leadership of the integrated energy major
- Kristina Skierka HonFEI, for her pioneering work as founder of Power for All, championing energy access and helping deliver power to underserved communities worldwide
- Lord Adair Turner HonFEI, Chair of the Energy Transitions Committee, for his influential thought leadership in sustainable finance and climate economics, and his tireless advocacy for the net-zero transition.
- Maxim Timchenko HonFEI, for his leadership of the Ukrainian energy company DTEK, keeping Ukraine’s power supply running amid the horrors of war.
- Stella Li HonFEI, Senior Vice President of BYD, for her visionary leadership in advancing clean mobility and sustainable technologies globally through BYD, driving real progress in the electrification of transport.
- About the awards
International Energy Workforce
Recognising projects bringing new talent into the industry, as well as the provision of continuing professional development schemes for current workforces.
- Winner: Ukraine’s Hidden Army, DTEK - With 55,000 staff and major labour gaps after over 15% of male miners were mobilised, DTEK adopted Mining Area Head Dmytro Ustyukhov’s once‑resisted proposal to recruit women for such roles, enabled by Ukraine’s removal of the longstanding ban on women working underground.
International Energy Technology
Recognising technological development projects with the power to become a gamechanger or disrupter in the industry.
- Winner: Traceable Clean Energy & Hourly Matching, Granular Energy - It delivers a first‑of‑its‑kind platform that automates energy‑contract, certificate, and green‑energy portfolio management - matching generation to consumption to give users full traceability.
Recognising innovations in design, execution, or organisational frameworks that lead to significant reductions in health and safety incidents across the energy sector.
- Winner: Cargo Drone Lifting, Ørsted - The project replaces high‑risk cargo transfers at height with an automated drone system that safely delivers tools and equipment to hard‑to‑reach offshore turbine locations without climbing or manual load handling
Recognising the contribution, innovation and passion of the next generation of energy leaders, open to individuals with less than five years in the industry.
- Winner: Alaa Alahmed, Energy Engineer, Saudi Aramco - for delivering an AI‑powered platform that monitors, forecasts, and optimises energy performance across facilities, reducing energy intensity and strengthening Saudi Aramco’s digital sustainability leadership
- For more information and images of the winners, please contact Ruaraidh Swainson on +44 (0)20 7467 7173 or [email protected]
- The EI’s International Energy Awards (formerly the EI Awards) are in their 27th year and are the pre-eminent awards recognising global achievement in energy. They are presented in three project categories – Workforce, Technology, and Safety by Design, – and two individual awards – Young Professional of the Year and the President’s Award.
- The Awards mark the culmination of the 2026 International Energy Week, which brings together leaders and influences from across the world of energy including senior industry figures, politicians, the investor community, NGOs and academics.
- The Energy Institute is the chartered professional membership body for people who work across the world of energy. Our purpose is to create a better energy future for our members and society by accelerating a just global energy transition to net zero. We do this by attracting, developing and equipping the diverse future energy workforce; informing energy decision-making through convening expertise and advice; and enabling industry and consumers to make energy lower carbon, safer and more efficient.