Friede-Gard-Prize 2026 – Antonio and Alicia Valero

Professor Antonio Valero Capilla, Ph.D. and Professor Alicia Valero Delgado, Ph.D. are the prizewinners of the Friede-Gard-Preis 2026. They represent two generations of the Zaragoza School of Thermoeconomics. Thermoeconomics applies the laws of thermodynamics, a branch of physics, to determine the costs of our economic activities (products, production processes and waste) based on ‘energy consumption’ (more precisely: exergy consumption). This provides a yardstick for measuring the extent of the (non-)sustainability of our current economic system and offers approaches for targeted improvements.

Antonio Valero Capilla -> CV                ->  Publications

Alicia Valero Delgado -> CV                ->  Publications

After studying mechanical engineering, Antonio Valero Capilla specialised in the thermodynamic analysis and energy optimisation of machinery and production processes, and, based on his findings, developed a general theory for assessing our planet’s mineral and fossil raw materials. He and his daughter, Alicia Valero Delgado, a qualified chemical engineer, together have expanded this into a thermodynamic and thermoeconomic theory encompassing the entire raw materials cycle (‘cradle-to-cradle’, i.e. ‘from untouched nature back to untouched nature’). Hundreds of specialist publications and several books set out the results obtained.

Professor Valero Capilla and Professor Valero Delgado are awarded the Friede-Gard-Preis 2026 for the founding and development of thermoeconomics and their seminal contributions to the application of this theory to practical issues relating to sustainability. These include, in particular:
(1) the concept of ‘Thanatia’ (the thermodynamically ‘dead planet’) as the final stage of the Earth’s existence should the exploitation of non-renewable resources continue unabated;
(2) the concept of ‘Pristinia’ as the goal of restoring agricultural land to its pristine natural state;
(3) the concept of ‘Circular Thermoeconomics’ for the thermodynamic assessment of actual achieving a 100% circular economy.