Heiko Keller

Biomass and Food

Research Topics

• Renewable materials and chemicals from biomass, biorefineries, fermentation, 2^nd gen. biofuels, renewable energy from biomass, offshore wind and PV
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA)
• Integrated life cycle sustainability assessment (ILCSA): integrated analysis of environmental, economic, social and other aspects relevant for sustainability

Curriculum Vitae

• Since 2019 Senior project manager at ifeu, Heidelberg
• Since 2011 Researcher at ifeu, Heidelberg
• 2010 – 2011 Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Heidelberg
• 2006 – 2010 PhD in biophysics at the University of Technology Dresden and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden
• 2005 Graduation in biochemistry (Dipl.-Biochem.) from the University of Hanover, Medical School Hanover and Veterinary Medical School Hannover

Professional Memberships and Other Activities

• Speaker at international conferences and topic organiser for the EUBCE conference
• Reviewer for scientific journals
• Reviewer for CBE-JU proposals
• Lecturer and workshop leader

Selected Projects 

• COUNTLESS (2023 - 2028), CBE-JU innovation action) Bringing lignin processing and its applications to industrial scale.
• SylPlant (2025 - 2027, CBE-JU flagship) Yeast fermentation of agricultural and wood-based sugars to highly nutritional protein ingredients for feed and food.
• MADE4WIND (2023 - 2027, EU Horizon Europe) Develops an offshore floating wind turbine using new designs and techniques for blades, substructure, and drivetrain including innovative composite recycling solutions for the blades
• SUREWAVE (2022 – 2025, EU Horizon Europe) Offshore floating photovoltaics sheltered by floating breakwater structures to resist very harsh conditions.
• EnXylaScope (2021–2025, EU Horizon 2020) Development of environmentally friendly ingredients for cosmetics, personal care products and dietary supplements based on xylan from lignocellulosic residues.
• UNRAVEL (2018–2022, BBI-JU / EU Horizon 2020) Lignocellulose biorefinery based on the acetone organosolv process to produce sustainable chemicals and building materials.
• BIOCORE (2010–2014, EU FP7) Lignocellulose biorefinery project screening and developing numerous products including the polymer precursor itaconic acid, lignin-based resins and the sweetener xylitol.

Selected Publications 
(For a full list see “Publication list” to the right) 

• Keller, H. (2024): LCSA from theory and experimental applications to practice: The ILCSA approach. Proceedings of the 88th LCA Discussion Forum, Wädenswil, Switzerland, 22 November 2024
• Keller, H., Rettenmaier, N. (2024): Unconventional product applications: big but often neglected levers for sustainability and success. Proceeding of the 32th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, Marseille, France, 24.-27.June 2024.
• Keller, H. (2024): Prospective LCA to identify advantages of bio-based products over CCU products, the new reference beyond fossil. Proceedings of the BioKET conference, Reims, France, 19.-21.March 2024
• Keller. H., Reinhardt, G. (2023): Pitfalls in the sustainability assessment of bio-based products for a defossilised economy. Proceedings of 19th RRB – International Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries, 1 June 2023, Riga, Latvia
• Keller, H., Senn, J., Reinhardt, G., Gärtner, S., Rettenmaier, N. (2022): Integrated sustainability assessment of an innovative lignocellulose biorefinery concept based on the acetone organosolv process. UNRAVEL project reports ifeu - Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. https://www.ifeu.de/en/project/unravel/.
• Keller, H., Rettenmaier, N., Reinhardt, G. (2021): Report on socio-economic and policy assessment: Social Implications of Electro-Microbially Produced Transport Fuels (Deliverable D5.4). eForFuel project reports ifeu - Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
• Keller, H., Rettenmaier, N., Reinhardt, G. A. (2015): Integrated life cycle sustainability assessment – A practical approach applied to biorefineries. Applied Energy, Vol. 154, pp. 1072–1081.