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-hosted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Tsinghua University, and Huairou Laboratory, the conference brought together nearly 700 experts and scholars, industry representatives, faculty members, and students from around the world to share and discuss the latest academic research, engineering advances, and industry trends in AC and DC power transmission.

With the theme “AC and DC Power Transmission and Distribution Systems for Large-Scale Renewable Energy Development,” ACDC 2026 featured nearly 100 distinguished experts in AC and DC power transmission and distribution who delivered presentations and shared their insights over the four-day conference. The program included eight keynote presentations, one roundtable forum, one IET Fellows and Industry Forum, 11 technical sessions, and 16 paper presentation sessions. More than 200 academic papers were presented and discussed through oral and poster presentations. More than 20 leading companies in the industry showcased their latest technologies, while more than 20 academic journals and industry media outlets covered the event. The online livestream attracted nearly 80,000 views.

Opening Ceremony of ACDC 2026

At the opening ceremony, Bob Cryan, Honorary President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Conference Chair, delivered remarks and noted that “the core value of ACDC is to bring innovative ideas from laboratories and academic papers into real-world systems and practical projects, fully empowering a more sustainable energy future.”

Fang Li, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of Huairou Laboratory, delivered remarks on behalf of Conference Chair and Academician Tang Guangfu, Director of Huairou Laboratory. He noted that “Huairou Laboratory is working closely around the needs of future power system development to accelerate breakthroughs in key core technologies, including advanced power transmission technologies and high-power power electronic equipment. It will also continue to deepen open collaboration with universities and industry partners both in China and abroad to jointly advance scientific and technological innovation in the energy and power sector.”

Professor Zeng Rong of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University, Chair of the Conference Technical Committee, delivered remarks and reviewed the development of the ACDC International Conference over the past decade since it was first held in China.

Wang Lixin, Deputy General Manager of Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co., Ltd., delivered remarks and noted that “Inner Mongolia Power Group will leverage its unique advantages in real-world application scenarios to plan and develop major demonstration projects for scientific and technological innovation in the energy sector, transforming ‘real-world scenarios and real-world problems’ into a powerful driving force for advances in AC and DC power transmission technologies.”

The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Yu Zhanqing of Tsinghua University/Huairou Laboratory, Chair of the ACDC 2026 Organizing Committee.

Opening remarks

The conference invited a number of distinguished experts from China and abroad to deliver keynote presentations. Professor Frede Blaabjerg of Aalborg University, Fellow of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters and IEEE Fellow, presented “Reliability Technologies for Power-Electronics-Based Power Systems.” Professor Rong Mingzhe, Chief Scientist at the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment and Deputy Chair of the Academic Committee of Xi’an Jiaotong University, delivered a presentation entitled “Economical HVDC Interruption Technologies and Equipment.” 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 “Architectural Considerations for Future AC and DC Power Systems.” Professor Li Bin, Vice President of Tianjin University, introduced “Adaptive Fault Current Limiting Technologies and Equipment for VSC-HVDC Systems and Their Applications.” Professor Yu Zhanqing of Tsinghua University/Huairou Laboratory presented “New UHV and EHV DC Transmission Technologies for Large-Scale Renewable Energy Delivery.” Abhay Kumar, Chief Engineer for HVDC at Hitachi Energy and IEEE Fellow, delivered a presentation entitled “HVDC: Enabling Efficient Grid Integration of Renewable Energy.” Liu Bo, Chairman and Professor-Level Senior Engineer of Shandong Taikai High Voltage Switchgear Co., Ltd., shared “Innovation in AC/DC Integrated Equipment and Large-Scale Engineering Demonstration under High-Penetration Renewable Energy Power Systems.” Chen Longlong, Chief Engineer and Professor-Level Senior Engineer of Beijing Siyuan Huaishi Power Equipment Co., Ltd., introduced “IGCT Devices Enabling Innovation in DC Power Transmission Technologies and Industrial Development.” The keynote session was chaired by Professor Yu Zhanqing, Chair of the ACDC 2026 Organizing Committee, and Professor Dushan Boroyevich, Chair of the Conference Technical Committee.

Keynote session

Against the backdrop of continued progress toward the “dual carbon” goals and the ongoing energy transition, new power systems are evolving toward higher shares of renewable energy and power electronic equipment, as well as greater levels of digitalization and intelligence. In response to these developments, the conference organized a roundtable forum entitled “New Challenges in 100% Renewable Energy Grid Integration and Transmission.” Moderated by Professor Sun Kai, Deputy Dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University, the forum brought together five distinguished speakers—Bikash Pal, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Wang Feng, Secretary-General of the Science and Technology Committee and Science and Technology Advisory Committee of State Power Investment Corporation Limited; Peng Cheng, Chief Expert of PowerChina and Chair of the Expert Committee of the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute; Guo Xianshan, Director of the DC Technology Center of State Grid Corporation of China; and Wang Lixin, Deputy General Manager of Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co., Ltd.—for extensive exchanges and discussion. The speakers shared views including that the energy transition is entering a critical and challenging phase and that the rapid growth of renewable energy is driving a comprehensive restructuring of power systems.

Roundtable Forum

The conference featured 11 invited technical sessions covering three levels of AC and DC power transmission technologies—devices, equipment, and systems. Topics included “Emerging Power Electronic Equipment,” “Power-Electronics-Based New Power Systems,” “Grid-Forming Technologies for Flexible DC Systems,” “High-Voltage and Insulation Technologies,” “Emerging Energy Storage Technologies,” “Emerging Electrical Engineering Technologies,” “Economical DC Interruption Technologies,” “Solid-State Transformer Technologies,” “Power Semiconductor Devices,” “Diversified Renewable Energy Conversion Technologies,” and “Enabling ACDC Systems through Flexible Technologies.” Each session closely addressed current technological priorities and attracted highly engaged professional audiences, with lively discussions and extensive exchanges.

The conference also featured the IET Fellows and Industry Forum, where more than 20 IET Fellows shared their insights and engaged in discussions on the theme “The Future of Intelligent Energy and Cross-Industry Engineering Innovation.”

In addition, more than 200 papers were presented through oral and poster sessions, providing opportunities for authors and participants to engage in extensive academic exchanges and discussions.

The successful organization of ACDC 2026 was made possible by the meticulous preparations of the organizing institutions, including IET Engineering and Technology Consulting (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronic Technology at Tsinghua University, the New Power System Research Center of Huairou Laboratory, Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co., Ltd., Taikai Group Co., Ltd., Sieyuan Electric Co., Ltd., the State Key Laboratory of Power System Operation and Control at Tsinghua University, the Tsinghua University Energy Internet Innovation Institute, the Tsinghua Sichuan Energy Internet Institute, the China Southern Power Grid New Power System (Beijing) Research Institute, and the High Voltage Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering. The event also benefited from the strong collaboration of its co-organizers, including Beijing Sifang Automation Co., Ltd., Xi’an PeiRui Power Semiconductor Converting Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Chengye Electronics Co., Ltd., Saijing Technology Group Co., Ltd., and Lian En Wei Ye (Hebi) Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., as well as the full support of numerous supporting organizations, academic journals, and media outlets. Leading companies in the AC and DC power transmission sector showcased their latest research achievements and related products at the event, attracting experts from China and abroad for visits and discussions.

Exhibition of New Products and Technologies

At the awards dinner held on the evening of July 11, Paulo Lopes, Head of IET China, presided over the ceremony and announced the recipients of the Best Paper Award and Outstanding Paper Award, as well as three awards presented for the first time this year: the IET ACDC Lifetime Achievement Award, the IET ACDC Innovation Contribution Award, and the IET ACDC Young Scholar Award.

Awards dinner

On July 13, the conference organized technical visits to the Huairou Science City Innovation Center and the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The visits provided a comprehensive overview of the strategic positioning, development achievements, and future trajectory of the Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center as a world-class hub for original scientific innovation.

Visit to the Huairou Science City Innovation Center

The IET International Conference on AC and DC Power Transmission (ACDC), a prestigious international conference in the field of power systems, was first brought to China through collaboration between the IET and Tsinghua University in 2016 and has since been successfully held in cities including Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai. As the 24th edition of the conference and a landmark event marking the 10th anniversary of ACDC’s establishment in China, this year’s conference placed greater emphasis on a dual focus on “academic frontiers and industrial application.” It sought to bridge information gaps between fundamental research, cutting-edge technological development, product R&D, and engineering applications, making a positive contribution to further deepening transnational collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutions worldwide and advancing the high-quality and sustainable development of new power systems around the globe.