Nine New Members Join the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET)

This week, the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) has announced nine new members to officially join its membership. The CEET is a global, high-level body of engineers and energy systems experts contributing to the UN Secretary-General’s goal of building a coalition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Council now has 49 total members, most of whom will be in attendance for the first week of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. If you wish to collaborate with the CEET at COP, reach out to [email protected].

The nine new council members hail from around the world, are experts from a variety of disciplines, covering crucial gaps on the track to global decarbonization. Meet the new engineers:

Marie-Line Vaiani

Marie-Line Vaiani is an expert in new energy systems and power generation, with over twenty five years of relevant experience. Currently, she is the Secretary General of the French Committee of the World Energy Council and Chair of the Energy Committee of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations.

Rosana Santos

An expert in land use, land-use change, and forestry, Rosana Santos has over twenty five years of experience working across the private and NGO sectors. She is an expert in the wind industry, with unique experience working in wind installation and project development and currently serves as Executive Director of the E+ Energy Transition Institute, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Sama Bilbao y Leon

Sama Bilbao y Leon’s work experience as a nuclear power engineer will make her an important new addition to the CEET. She has twenty years of experience in nuclear engineering, previously with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, and currently as the Director General of the World Nuclear Association.

Ulf Larsson

A transportation decarbonization expert and a senior leader in the global rail industry, Ulf Laarson brings over thirty years of experience to the CEET. As Technical Director Global Transport & Infrastructure for WSP Global, he is a trained business advisor and management consultant.

Tham Wai Wah

As Chief Sustainability Officer at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Tham Wai Wah worked to develop the Tuas Mega Port, a practical project designed as a green port supporting the broader Tuas Ecosystem. He is an expert in shipping and freight, an important area for the Council to offer expertise.

Fang Yang

Fang Yang is the Director of the Climate Change & Environment Division at the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and Technical Innovation Expert for the State Grid Corporation of China. Her background in electrical engineering will be crucial for the CEET and for development projects on grid interconnectivity.

​​Naveen Ahlawat Kumar

​​Naveen Ahlawat Kumar is Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power and President of the Indian Steel Association. With over fifteen years of private industry experience, his vision is to promote green steel through gasification projects, green hydrogen projects, and carbon capture utilization and storage. He is currently the Head of Power-to-X for Jindal Steel.

Anita Sengupta

A rocket scientist, aviation entrepreneur, and instrument rated pilot who has worked on the explorations of Mars, asteroids, and deep space, Anita Sengupta is a science educator and communicator who develops hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft as the CEO and founder of Hydroplane Ltd. She aims to decarbonize aviation within the decade.

Wangari Muchiri

A top expert in the implementation of wind energy, Wangari Muchiri is the Director of the Global Wind Energy Council Africa. Africa WindPower serves as a regional body to scale and accelerate the development of wind energy across the African continent. She will bring crucial experience in clean energy development to the CEET.