After a long selection period, the VinFuture main prize worth 3 million USD went to 4 scientists: Professor Martin Andrew Green, Professor Stanley Whittingham, Professor Rachid Yazami and Professor Akira Yoshino for their breakthrough inventions that create a sustainable green energy platform.

Among them, Professor Martin Andrew Green (Australia) was honored for his contributions to the breakthrough invention in producing green energy using solar cells with Passive Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology.

Previously, solar cell efficiency was only at 15%. Thanks to the research team's work, solar cell efficiency has increased significantly, soaring to 25%. Since mass production in 2012, PERC solar cells now account for 60% of the solar cell market share worldwide .

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President Vo Van Thuong awarded the VinFuture 2023 main prize to four scientists.

The three remaining scientists, Professor Stanley Whittingham (USA), Professor Rachid Yazami (Morocco) and Professor Akira Yoshino (Japan), were awarded the prize for their contributions to the breakthrough invention in energy storage using Lithium-ion batteries.

Among them, Professor Stanley Whittingham invented the operating principle of Lithium-ion batteries and determined the role of Lithium ions as an effective charge carrier.

Professor Rachid Yazami pioneered the discovery of the reversible electrochemical intercalation of Lithium ions with graphite, laying the foundation for the development of modern Lithium-ion batteries. With Professor Akira Yoshino, he developed carbon black as the cathode in Lithium-ion batteries.

Recently, all four winners of the VinFuture Prize briefly shared with the press during their business trip to Vietnam to receive the VinFuture Prize.

Professors, could you share your perspective on the green energy application trend that is happening around the world?

Professor Martin Andrew Green: I work in a city in Australia - one of the countries leading the green energy transition.

Just five years ago, Australia’s electricity generation was largely gas and coal-fired. However, today, thanks to the ever-decreasing cost of solar panels, solar power is becoming more and more popular.

Solar will be one of the key drivers of the energy transition, as will storage. Coal and gas-fired power generation will be virtually non-existent within a decade or so. This was unimaginable five years ago.

The trend of shifting to green energy is happening very quickly and will be even faster in the future, especially in countries like Vietnam.

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Professor Martin Andrew Green - honored for his groundbreaking invention in producing green energy using solar cells.

Professor Akira Yoshino: Batteries do not produce electricity themselves, but only store electricity. Therefore, battery technology is not the main driving force, but it is considered a supporting force and a driving force for the transition to green energy.

Just like in movies or stories, many supporting characters also play very important roles. The increasingly low cost of battery storage will be an important factor in the green energy transition. I believe that, for countries, investing in energy storage systems will play a very important role.

Professor Stanley Whittingham: I come from New York State (USA). There, the New York State government has set a mission that we must increase the rate of renewable energy use to 50%.

We have politicians, scientists and federal government funding to support activities related to promoting the energy transition and the use of renewable energy.

New York also works very closely with the Canadian government - a country that provides us with hydrogen energy. We also have initiatives to ensure that rechargeable batteries, especially rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, become safer.

The message I want to convey is that scientists like us cannot make the transition to green energy alone. We need technology, we need the involvement of businesses as well as politicians, policymakers and communities to make it happen.

Prof. Rachid Yazami: My home country Morocco has set a target of 52% of its electricity generation coming from renewable energy by 2023. This represents a fairly ambitious figure. I myself am supporting the monitoring of this target from afar, and with the current progress, achieving this target is quite clear.

Regarding renewable energy and green energy, there are two points that I want to emphasize. One is whether we have enough natural resources for these activities or not? The second point is how should we recycle the used batteries?

In the world, Japan is currently one of the leading countries in battery recycling, starting in the 1990s. Up to now, countries around the world are doing the same by finding ways to recycle and recover precious metals contained in batteries such as cobalt, phosphate and lithium.

The target set by many countries is that by 2035, 30% of newly produced batteries will use materials from recycled batteries. This requires the participation of scientists in research and development.

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Professor Stanley Whittingham invented the operating principle of Lithium-ion batteries.

What advice do you have for a developing country like Vietnam in its journey of gradually transitioning from fossil energy to green energy?

Professor Stanley Whittingham: Every battery needs to have a passport. In other words, it needs to be labeled to know exactly what is in the battery, whether it is nickel, cobalt or lithium.

These substances all pose a fire and explosion hazard. They are also toxic if not handled properly. Labeling each battery to identify its contents will help in the separation process when recycling.

Professor Rachid Yazami: I agree with the idea that we need to have a passport to label the chemical components inside the battery. This is so that when we recycle, these components do not mix together. To do this, we need to have technologies.

With current technology, when reusing batteries, it is necessary to crush the battery, then extract the chemicals in it. When manufacturing batteries, people mix these substances together. Later, when separating those substances, we waste both time and money.

In the future, we must have smarter, more efficient ways of handling. That requires the participation of research and development to take advantage of, recycle and reuse precious metal resources.

Thank you!

The world is waiting for Vietnam to join the semiconductor game . This is the comment of Professor Albert Pisano - Chairman of the VinFuture Prize Preliminary Council regarding Vietnam's proactive participation in the semiconductor industry.