By Isabella Kaminski

Professor Sipilä, Vice-President of strategic energy research at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), won the prize for his leadership in the development of biomass conversion technologies and for promoting biomass as a sustainable energy source within Finland.

The Johannes Linneborn Prize for Achievement in Biomass Development, which was established in 1994 for outstanding contributions to the development of energy from biomass, was awarded during the 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in Berlin.

Professor Sipilä is currently coordinator of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) bioenergy joint programme, and was formerly Coordinator of the Bioenergy Network of Excellence in the 6th Research Framework Programme of the EU, Chairman of the national biofuel implementation team, and IEA Bioenergy Agreement Executive Committee Representative for Finland from 1993 and Vice-Chairman in 2003.

Having trained as a chemical engineer at the Helsinki University of Technology, Professor Sipilä later joined the Technical Research Centre of Finland. His activities have covered a variety of thermo-chemical conversion technologies, waste-to-energy and material recycling systems, alternative motor fuel production, renewable energy systems, refining of biomass, and energy and climate issues. His work on R&D and implementation at VTT has been very influential in the biomass field.