2025 International Energy Frontiers Forum Held at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

The 2025 International Energy Frontiers Forum and the 2025 Frontiers in Energy – International Engineering Symposium on Energy took place from October 10 to 11, 2025, at the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This forum was co-hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Frontiers in Energy journal, with organization support from the National Energy Investment Corporation’s Smart Energy Innovation Institute and the Carbon Neutral Development Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Additional support was provided by the Shanghai Non-Carbon Based Energy Conversion and Utilization Research Institute, the Shanghai Energy Research Society, and the National Energy Storage Technology Industry-Education Integration Innovation Platform of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

During the opening ceremony, the forum’s chairman, Academician Huang Zhen of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and editor-in-chief of Frontiers in Energy, Academician Zhou Shouwei, also an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Yang Zhenbin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delivered speeches. Academician Huang warmly welcomed and sincerely thanked all academicians, leaders, experts, and guests attending the forum. He emphasized that, against the backdrop of global climate change, we are facing an unprecedented green energy transition that requires disruptive and transformative energy technologies.

Frontiers in Energy is an English comprehensive academic journal co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Higher Education Press, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. It serves as the energy section of the Chinese Academy of Engineering’s journal, Engineering. The journal focuses on reporting cutting-edge, innovative, and interdisciplinary research achievements in the energy field, aiming to provide a high-level international academic exchange platform for global experts, scholars, engineers, and decision-makers in the energy sector. The Energy Frontiers Forum is a brand event of the Engineering journal’s energy section and has been held twice before, with this being its third edition.

This year’s forum concentrated on the “cutting-edge, innovative, and interdisciplinary” aspects of energy. It featured discussions on various topics, including “Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies,” “New Energy Power Generation and New Power Systems,” “Hydrogen Energy and Green Fuels,” and “AI + Energy.” Renowned experts and young talents in the energy sector were invited to give keynote speeches and special presentations, sharing their insights and engaging in academic discussions. The forum aims to leverage the influence of the Frontiers in Energy journal to create a high-level face-to-face exchange event that showcases cutting-edge technological achievements and fosters collaborative innovation and development in energy technology.

Academician Zhou Shouwei extended warm congratulations on the convening of the 2025 International Energy Frontiers Forum and highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing energy technology. As a high-end think tank for national engineering and technology, the Chinese Academy of Engineering is committed to providing intellectual support for national energy strategies. He specifically noted that the influence of Frontiers in Energy is continuously growing, establishing it as an important window for showcasing global energy technology innovations. The Energy and Mining Engineering Department will closely collaborate with Shanghai Jiao Tong University to enhance the academic level and impact of the Frontiers in Energy journal.

Yang Zhenbin welcomed the academicians, experts, and guests attending the forum, emphasizing that promoting green transformation is a global consensus in addressing climate change. The forum focuses on cutting-edge topics such as new energy power generation, advanced battery materials, hydrogen energy, and AI applications in energy, providing a high-level exchange platform for global experts and scholars to explore future energy directions. Shanghai Jiao Tong University actively responds to the national “dual carbon” strategy, continuously strengthening its research layout and technological innovation in the energy field. The Smart Energy Innovation Institute, co-established with the State Power Investment Corporation, has become a crucial teaching and research platform for interdisciplinary studies and industry-education integration in energy.

Academician Huang Zhen provided a detailed introduction to the positioning, objectives, development history, and future prospects of the Frontiers in Energy journal. The journal’s deputy editor, Academician Zhang Jiujun, announced the winners of the “2025 Energy Frontiers Rising Scientist” award and the “Outstanding Paper of the Year in Frontiers in Energy 2025.” The “2025 Energy Frontiers Rising Scientist Award” was established to recognize young talents who have achieved significant innovative results in the energy sector within ten years of their doctoral graduation. This year’s awardees include Pang Quanquan from Peking University, Chen Hao from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Liu Wenzhu from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Awards were presented by Academician Zhou Shouwei and Academician Huang Zhen.

In the morning session, prominent academicians including Zhou Shouwei, Academician Xie Heping, Academician Liu Zhongmin, Academician Sun Shuhui from the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Royal Society, and Professor Stefania Specchia from Polytechnic University of Turin delivered keynote speeches. Academician Zhou Shouwei’s keynote addressed “Thoughts on the Exploration and Development of Spatial Resources in Deep Ocean Layers,” emphasizing the strategic significance of underexplored resources like natural gas hydrates and shallow gas. He highlighted a breakthrough in the simultaneous extraction of natural gas hydrates and shallow gas, which lays a solid foundation for future resource development and opens a new strategic pathway for energy security and green transformation in China.

Academician Xie Heping discussed “Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization and Power Generation Technology,” noting that lunar resource development is a core objective of deep space exploration. His research team proposed an innovative lunar drilling robot system for deep core sampling, successfully developing a prototype, which provides new insights for assessing lunar resources. Additionally, he introduced a concept for lunar-based power generation technology that could provide power solutions for future lunar bases.

Academician Liu Zhongmin focused on “Energy Green Transition and Industrial Upgrade,” proposing that China’s resource endowment of rich coal but limited oil and gas necessitates a path of “multi-energy integration.” He outlined four strategic lines: clean and efficient use of fossil energy, renewable energy complementarity, low-carbon industrial processes, and integrated low-carbon intelligence to support dual carbon goals.

Academician Sun Shuhui, in his speech on “Next-Generation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Towards Carbon Neutrality,” asserted that hydrogen energy is a core pathway for deep decarbonization, showcasing the team’s research on low-platinum and non-platinum catalysts, as well as strategies to enhance performance and stability. He emphasized that developing efficient single-atom and non-precious metal electrolysis catalysts for green hydrogen will solidify the foundation for a low-cost, high-efficiency hydrogen energy technology system.

Professor Stefania Specchia presented on “Sustainable Electrocatalysts for PEMFC/AEMFC,” detailing the progress in developing sustainable fuel cell catalysts. She discussed innovative synthesis strategies for non-precious metal catalysts, addressing the challenges of scarcity and cost associated with platinum resources, and highlighted the potential of biomass-derived materials in improving fuel cell performance.

In the afternoon session, sixteen young talents in the energy sector presented exciting invited reports on cutting-edge energy topics. In the “Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies” segment, professors from various universities discussed topics such as lithium metal battery materials and high-performance solid-state battery technologies. In the “New Energy Power Generation and New Power Systems” section, experts presented on topics like efficient perovskite solar cells and virtual power plant optimization. The “Hydrogen Energy and Green Fuels” section featured discussions on the scientific and technological foundations for efficient carbon resource recycling and catalyst design.

Lastly, in the “AI + Energy” segment, researchers shared insights on AI’s impact on various energy applications, including electrochemistry and predictive modeling for biomass pyrolysis. Over 300 experts and representatives from universities, research institutions, and leading enterprises in the energy sector participated in this forum.