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Rabat – The world-renowned Moroccan scientist Rachid Yazami received this week Whittingham International Energy Award in Phuket, Thailand.
The scientist shared the news on Monday in a LinkedIn post, stating “I have just been honored in Phuket, Thailand with the Energy Prize named after Professor Stanley Whittingham, Nobel laureate in chemistry in 2019.”
Yazami, accredited for revolutionizing lithium battery technology, dedicated his win to his home country, stating that the award is “a great honor for Morocco.”
The award certification. Photo credit: Rachid Yazami
In September, the researcher and founding director of Singapore-based battery intelligence company KVI Holdings shared that he has succeeded in inventing the world’s fastest-charging lithium battery that takes only 10 minutes to charge an electric car, breaking the prior 20 minutes world record for recharge speed.
In addition to advancing the performance of batteries, Yazami has been advocating for prioritizing safety in the field of battery development. In 2020, he invented a new method to facilitate the early detection of short circuits in batteries which can help to avoid potential explosions and thus save the lives of users.
In an earlier conversation with Morocco World News, the scientist stressed the importance of testing the safety of lithium batteries before using them to power electric vehicles including cars and buses.
Speaking about Morocco’s plans to build a gigafactory dedicated to the production of batteries for electric vehicles, Yazami urged Moroccan authorities to prioritize the testing of the quality and safety of batteries. “Safety is something we cannot compromise,” the researcher stressed.
As of November 30, Yazami has 178 patents registered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The patents include low-temperature electrochemical cells, fluoride ion electrochemical cells, and methods for purifying carbon materials.
Yazami’s scientific contributions have been crowned over the years with numerous awards including the 2014 royal decoration (Wissam) by King Mohammed VI.
Read Also: Rachid Yazami: Morocco’s Need For Batteries Is Huge, But Safety Comes First
