From biogenic residues to renewable methane and green hydrogen: DBFZ puts modern pilot plant into operation
The ‘Pilot-SBG’ project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV), is focussing on the provision of renewable methane as an energy source for transport sectors that are difficult to electrify. The central components of the research and demonstration project being carried out by the german institute for biomass research, DBFZ, are the planning, construction and successful trial operation of a pilot plant for synthesised biogas (SBG) on a pilot plant scale. In the presence of around 120 guests from research, politics and industry, the new research plant was officially put into operation in a ceremony on 18 March 2025.
The concept of the new research plant on the site of the DBFZ in Leipzig combines both established and innovative technologies and processes biogenic residues, by-products and waste as well as green hydrogen to provide renewable methane as the main product and valuable by-products. The biomethane produced in the plant is to be used in compressed form as renewable CNG in the DBFZ vehicle fleet in a subsequent refuelling facility. As part of an innovation support service, the project will carry out extensive trials, continuously optimise process parameters and comprehensively analyse and evaluate the data collected in the process. The aim is to further develop the overall concept and to accompany and support its scaling up to commercial scale.
Media Review: Report on the formal opening
All photos ©2025 Johannes Amm / DBFZ
Program: Ceremonial commissioning of the pilot plant for renewable methane and workshop “Renewable LNG in transport”
| Time | Agenda item |
09:00 a.m. | Arrival & Registration |
Workshop 'Renewable LNG in transport' [in German language] | |
10:00 a.m. | Greetings |
10:05 a.m. | Greetings |
10:10 a.m. | Erneuerbares LNG als Kraftstoff – Perspektiven und zu lösende FragestellungenProf. Bert Buchholz | Universität Rostock [German version] |
10:40 a.m. | Produktion und Vermarktung von Bio-LNG: Herausforderungen und Chancen [German version] |
11:00 a.m. | Erneuerbares LNG für den Schwerlastverkehr [German version] |
11:20 a.m. | LNG im maritimen Umfeld - Erfahrungen aus dem Feld Martin Miller | Rolls-royce |
11:45 a.m. | Offene Diskussionsrunde: Wo steht erneuerbares LNG als Kraftstoff derzeit und was sind die kurzfristigen Herausforderungen? |
12:30 p.m. | Mittagspause |
13:30 p.m. | Dekarbonisierung der Schifffahrt: Zukünftige Kraftstoffe und Emissionsrisiken [German version] |
13:45 p.m. | Welche langfristigen Perspektiven hat erneuerbares LNG? [German version] |
14:00 p.m. | Offene Diskussionsrunde: Welche strategische Rolle kann erneuerbares LNG in den Verkehrssektoren langfristig einnehmen? |
14:40 p.m. | Ende des Workshops |
Feierliche Inbetriebnahme der Pilotanlage | |
15:00 p.m. | Greetings |
| 15:25 p.m. | Symbolic ceremony |
ab 15:30 p.m. | Presentation of pilot plant modules |
Parallel | Get-together |
| 17:00 p.m. | Evening event with a buffet |
19:30 p.m. | Closing remarks |