Helmut Gerber is one of three Managing Directors of PYREG GmbH, which he founded in 2009 as a spin-off from the Technical University of Bingen. He is responsible for development, plant engineering and renewable energies at the international plant manufacturer.
The special feature of the PYREG plant technology he developed is the targeted control of the process parameters of the pyrolysis process, which makes it possible to produce carbon products of different quality levels and to recycle nutrients gently. Most importantly, the majority of the carbon contained in the input material is stably stored without being released into the atmosphere as CO2. With this technology PYREG GmbH takes a worldwide leading role in pyrolysis. For this invention, the 51-year-old was awarded the IWA LET2016 Industrial Innovation Award, the Inventor Award Rhineland-Palatinate, the ZIRP Innovation Award and the Innovation Award Rhineland-Palatinate.
Helmut Gerber is considered a pioneer in the industry and has made a name for himself far beyond Germany's borders through a large number of scientific publications and research projects. He is a founding member of EBI (The European Biochar Industry Consortium) and the German Biochar Association.