The 24th IET International Conference on AC and DC Power Transmission (ACDC 2026) Successfully Held in Beijing

The 24th IET International Conference on AC and DC Power Transmission (ACDC 2026) was successfully held in Beijing from July 10 to 13, 2026. Co-organized by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Tsinghua University, and Huairou Laboratory, the conference brought together nearly 700 experts, scholars, industry representatives, and university faculty and students from around the world to share and discuss the latest academic research outcomes, engineering applications, and industry trends in the field of AC/DC power transmission.

Under the theme "AC/DC Power Transmission and Distribution Systems Supporting Large-Scale Renewable Energy Development," the four-day conference featured nearly 100 experts delivering academic presentations and sharing insights across the AC/DC transmission and distribution domain. The program included 8 keynote speeches, 1 roundtable forum, 1 IET Fellow and Industry Forum, 11 special sessions, and 16 paper presentation sessions. Over 200 papers were presented and exchanged through oral and poster sessions. More than 20 leading industry enterprises showcased new technologies at the exhibition area, over 20 academic journals and industry media outlets covered the event, and the live-streaming platform attracted nearly 80,000 online views.

In his opening address, Prof. Bob Cryan, Conference Chair and Honorary President of the IET, emphasized: "The core value of ACDC lies in transforming innovative ideas from laboratories and papers into real-world systems and practical projects, empowering a more sustainable energy future."

Fang Li, Deputy Secretary of Huairou Laboratory, delivered a speech on behalf of the Conference Chair, Academician Tang Guangfu, Director of Huairou Laboratory. He noted: "Huairou Laboratory is closely aligning with the needs of future power system development, accelerating breakthroughs in advanced transmission technologies and high-power power electronic equipment, and will continue to deepen open collaboration with domestic and international universities and industry partners to jointly drive scientific and technological innovation in the energy and power sector."

Prof. Zeng Rong, Chair of the Technical Committee and representing the Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, delivered a speech reviewing the 10-year development journey since the ACDC International Conference was first held in China.

Wang Lixin, Vice President of Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co., Ltd, pointed out in his address: "Inner Mongolia Power Group will leverage its unique scenario advantages to plan and deploy major scientific and technological innovation demonstration projects in the energy sector, transforming 'real scenarios and real problems' into a powerful driving force for advancing AC/DC transmission technologies."

The conference invited a number of distinguished domestic and international guests to deliver keynote speeches:

• Prof. Frede Blaabjerg, Professor at Aalborg University (AAU), Member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, and IEEE Fellow, presented on "Reliability Technology for Power-Electronic-Based Power Systems."
• Prof. Rong Mingzhe, Chief Scientist of the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), delivered a presentation entitled "Economical High-Voltage DC Breaking Technology and Equipment."
• Prof. Dushan Boroyevich, University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and IEEE Life Fellow, shared his insights on "Architecture Exploration for Future AC/DC Power Systems."
• Prof. Li Bin, Vice President of Tianjin University, presented "Adaptive Fault Current Limiting Technology and Equipment for Flexible DC Systems."
• Prof. Yu Zhanqing, from Tsinghua University and Huairou Laboratory, shared "Novel Ultra/Extra-High Voltage DC Transmission Technologies for Large-Scale Renewable Energy Delivery."
• Abhay Kumar, Chief HVDC Engineer at Hitachi Energy and IEEE Fellow, delivered a presentation entitled "HVDC: Enabling Efficient Grid Integration of Renewable Energy."
• Liu Bo, Chairman of Shandong Taikai High Voltage Switchgear Co., Ltd, shared "Innovation and Large-Scale Engineering Demonstration of AC/DC Integrated Equipment for Power Grids with High Penetration of Renewable Energy."
• Chen Longlong, Chief Engineer of Beijing Siyuan Huaishi Electric Power Equipment Co., Ltd and Professorate Senior Engineer, presented "IGCT Devices Driving Technological Innovation and Industrial Development in DC Transmission."

The keynote session was moderated by Prof. Yu Zhanqing, Chairman of the ACDC 2026 Organizing Committee, and Prof. Dushan Boroyevich, Chair of the Technical Committee.

Against the backdrop of the "Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality" goals and the deepening energy transition, the new-type power system is evolving toward high penetration of renewable energy, high proportion of power electronic devices, and greater digitalization and intelligence. To address these emerging trends, the conference organized a roundtable forum themed "New Challenges of 100% Renewable Energy Grid Integration and Transmission." Moderated by Prof. Sun Kai, Deputy Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University, the forum featured five distinguished panelists: Prof. Bikash Pal, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Wang Feng, Secretary General of the Science and Technology Committee and the Science and Technology Advisory Committee of State Power Investment Corporation Limited (SPIC); Peng Cheng, Chief Expert of Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) and Director of the Expert Committee of China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI); Guo Xianshan, Director of the DC Technology Center of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC); and Wang Lixin, Vice President of Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co., Ltd. The panelists engaged in in-depth discussions, highlighting that the energy transition has entered a critical phase, with high renewable energy penetration necessitating a comprehensive restructuring of the power system.

The conference featured 11 invited special sessions covering three levels of AC/DC transmission technology: devices, equipment, and systems. Topics included:

• "New Power Electronic Equipment"
• "Power-Electronic-Based New-Type Power Systems"
• "Grid-Forming VSC-HVDC Technologies""High Voltage and Insulation Technologies"
• "New Energy Storage Technologies"
• "Emerging Electrical Technologies"
• "Economical DC Breaking Technologies"
• "Solid-State Transformer Technologies"
• "Power Semiconductor Devices"
• "Multi-Conversion Technologies for Renewable Energy"
• "Flexible Technologies Empowering AC/DC Systems"

Each session addressed cutting-edge technical topics and fostered lively discussions among professional attendees.

Concurrently, the IET Fellow and Industry Forum was held, bringing together over 20 IET Fellows to share insights and engage in discussions around the theme "Smart Energy Future and Cross-Industry Engineering Innovation."

More than 200 papers were presented and exchanged through oral and poster sessions, providing ample opportunities for authors and participants to engage in thorough discussions and academic exchanges.

On the evening of July 11, the awards gala dinner took place, hosted by Paulo Lopes, Head of IET China. During the ceremony, the Best Paper Awards and Excellent Paper Awards were announced, along with the inaugural presentation of the IET ACDC Lifetime Achievement Award, the IET ACDC Innovation Contribution Award, and the IET ACDC Young Scholar Award.

On July 13, the conference organized a technical visit to the Huairou Science City Innovation Hall and the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) facility of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The visit showcased the strategic positioning, development achievements, and future roadmap of the Beijing Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center as a world-class hub for original innovation.