Nils Rettenmaier

Head of Department Biomass and Food

Research Topics

• Bioeconomy: bio-based products, bioenergy/biofuels, food
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Integrated sustainability assessment (ILCSA)
• Biomass resource assessments

Curriculum Vitae

• Since 10/2025 Head of Department Biomass and Food and Scientific Director at ifeu, Heidelberg
• Since 2012 Senior project manager Biomass and Food at ifeu, Heidelberg
• Since 2006 Research associate at ifeu Heidelberg
• 2001 – 2002 Studies abroad at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala
• 1998 – 2004 Studies in geoecology (Diplom) at the University of Bayreuth

Professional Memberships and Teaching Activities

• VDI Regulation Committee 6311 ‘Bioeconomy, biological transformation and biologisation - terms, methods and definitions’, Member since 2021
• Member of the expert group on LCA for Carbon Capture and Utilisation (LCA4CCU) at DG ENER, 2018-2020
• WG 3 of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and Energy Sector Baden-Württemberg on ‘Criteria and indicators for the assessment of the Bioeconomy’, Chairman in 2018
• CEN/BT/WG 218 ‘Algae’, Member in 2016
• CEN/TC 411/WG4 ‘Sustainability criteria, life cycle analysis and related issues’, Member since 2012
• DIN Committee NA 172-00-11 AA ‘Bio-based products’, Member since 2012, Umpire 2016-2020
• VDI Regulation Committee 6310 ‘Quality criteria of biorefineries’, Member since 2011

Selected Projects

• eREGENERATE: Resistive heating in structured hydrophobic sorbents for a highly efficient and fully electrified Direct Air Capture technology
• CERISEA: Competitive production of HMF and derivatives for an Eco-designed and Resilient Industry towards Sustainable European Autonomy
• Nachhaltiger Konsum
• ēQATOR: Electrically heated catalytic reforming reactors
• Langfristszenarien für die Transformation des Energiesystems in Deutschland
• BioSPRINT: Improve biorefinery operations through process intensification and new end products
• BIOCORE: BIOCOmmodity REfinery

Selected Publications

• Mennitto, R., Blom, R., Dörr, M., Rosental, M., Rettenmaier, N. (submitted): Solid Sorbents for Direct Air Capture: a technological and environmental perspective.
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy, Ramirez Ramirez, A., El Khamlichi, A., Markowz, G., Rettenmaier, N., Baitz, M, Jungmeier, G., Bradley, T. (2022): LCA4CCU: guidelines for life cycle assessment of carbon capture and utilisation, Publications Office of the European Union
• Fehrenbach, H., Rettenmaier, N. (2021): The role of biomass use in a defossilised and resource-efficient world. In: Lehmann, H. (ed.): Sustainable Development and Resource Productivity - The Nexus Approaches, pp. 288-301, Routledge
• Fernando, A.L., Rettenmaier,  N., Soldatos, P., Panoutsou, C. (2018): Sustainability of perennial crops production for bioenergy and bio-products. In: Alexopoulou (ed.): Perennial Grasses for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, pp. 245-283
• Fernando, A.L., Costa, J., Barbosa, B., Monti, A., Rettenmaier, N. (2018): Environmental impact assessment of perennial crops cultivation on marginal soils in the Mediterranean Region. Biomass and Bioenergy Vol. 111, pp. 174-186
• Thrän, D., Arendt, O., Banse, M., Braun, J., Fritsche, U., Gärtner, S., Hennenberg, K.J., Hünneke, K., Millinger, M., Ponitka, J., Rettenmaier, N., Schaldach, R., Schüngel, J., Wern, B., Wolf, V. (2017): Strategy Elements for a Sustainable Bioenergy Policy Based on Scenarios and Systems Modeling: Germany as Example. Chem. Eng. Technol., 40: 211-226.
• Thrän, D., Schaldach, R., Millinger, M., Wolf, V., Arendt, O., Ponitka, J., Gärtner, S., Rettenmaier, N., Hennenberg, K., Schüngel, J. (2016): The MILESTONES modeling framework: An integrated analysis of national bioenergy strategies and their global environmental impacts. Environmental Modelling & Software, Vol. 86, 14-29
• Schmidt, T., Fernando, A.L., Monti, A. and Rettenmaier, N. (2015): Life cycle assessment of bioenergy and bio-based products from perennial grasses cultivated on marginal land in the Mediterranean region. BioEnergy Research, Vol. 8(1), 1548-1561
• Keller, H., Rettenmaier, N. and Reinhardt, G.A. (2015): Integrated life cycle sustainability assessment – a practical approach applied to biorefineries. Applied Energy, Vol. 154, 1072–1081
• Hennecke, A. and Rettenmaier, N. (2015): Sustainable Land Use: Food Production or Fuels. In: Hartard, S. and Liebert, W. (eds.): Competition and Conflicts on Resource Use, pp. 245–258
• Rettenmaier, N. and Hienz, G. (2014): Linkages Between Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy. In: Rutz, D. and Janssen, R. (eds.): Socio-Economic Impacts of Bioenergy Production, pp 59-80, Springer
• Rettenmaier, N., Keller, H. and Reinhardt, G. A. (2014): Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of furniture and bioenergy production from oil palm trunks. GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 6, 509–520
• Rettenmaier, N., Köppen, S., Gärtner, S.O. and Reinhardt, G.A. (2010): Life cycle assessment of selected future energy crops for Europe. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, Vol. 4(6), 620–636
• Dallemand, J.F., De Santi, G., Leip, A., Baxter, D., Rettenmaier, N. and Ossenbrink, H. (2010): Biomass for transport, heat and electricity: scientific challenges. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 21(4), 523–547
• Bringezu, S., Schütz, H., Arnold, K., Merten, F. Kabasci, S., Borelbach, P., Michels, C., Reinhardt, G.A. and Rettenmaier, N. (2009): Global implications of biomass and biofuel use in Germany - Recent trends and future scenarios for domestic and foreign agricultural land use and resulting GHG emissions. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 17, S57-S68
• Reinhardt, G.A., Rettenmaier, N. and Münch, J. (2008): Ökologische Optimierungspotenziale der energetischen Nutzung von Palmöl. Environ Sci Eur, Vol. 20(3), 180-188