Dr. Carrasco receives this award for his recognized excellence in research and management of the development of renewable and sustainable energy from biomass. He realized highly significative results along the entire biomass energy chain: potential identification, development of production of biomass, drying, size reduction, storage, conversion to modern liquid, gaseous and solid energy carriers and their application in furnaces and boilers.
He started his career at the Institute of Renewable Energies, CIEMAT, as a pre-doctorate fellow, and he was eventually nominated head of the Ethanol Fermentation group, of the Biomass Division/Program and later head of the Liquid and Solid Biofuels Projects. In 2010, Juan Carrasco became head of the whole Biomass Unit of CIEMAT.

Over his professional life, his research interests and activities covered a very wide area, mainly within the following fields:

• Production of biomass resources development and valuation of energy crops;
• Bioethanol from starchy and lignocelluloses raw materials;
• Development, production and viable use of solid biofuels.

Together with his team, Dr. Carrasco took part to over 50 large national and international biomass programs and projects in different roles: main researcher, leader of the CIEMAT participation team, and initiative taker or project coordinator. He was engaged in many international collaborations, by acting in several advising and steering committees in the area of biomass. He was appointed as bioenergy joint R&D coordinator 2014-2019 of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), and he was also nominated as national expert by INIA in the SCAR-BRSG. His work has led to over 123 scientific publications.

Dr. Carrasco also made significative contributions in EUBCE conferences by presenting overviews and participating in scientific, technical and organizing committees. He also dedicated himself to teaching in several courses that he has set up and directed. He showed himself an active and effective promoter for sustainable use of biomass, providing an inspiring leadership in the bioenergy community.

The Prize will be delivered on Monday 26th April  during the Opening Session at approx. 10:00
The laudatio will be presented by Wim van Swaaij, Chair of the Linneborn Prize Committee.