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With its innovative technology for producing hydrogen from biogenic residues, bhyo is pursuing a consistently decentralized, sustainable, and circular approach – showing how the energy transition can succeed at the local level. CEO Mr. Schmitt shares the exciting details with us in the Hot Seat interview.

Mr. Schmitt, welcome to the Hot Seat! Bhyo is taking an exciting approach to hydrogen production – decentralized, sustainable, and locally driven.
For those who are not yet familiar with bhyo: Who are you, and what is the goal behind your technology?

bhyo. stands for a new generation of sustainable energy supply. We produce climate-friendly hydrogen from biogenic residues – such as organic waste, harvest leftovers, or sewage sludge – that are usually just discarded. Our goal is to fully utilize these local resources and generate CO₂-negative, decentralized renewable energy from them.

Our core mission is to close all material cycles: no waste, no emissions, no loss – but rather a true circular economy that turns residues into valuable materials and continues to use all by-products.

We combine technology with responsibility – for the environment, the region, and future generations.
be green. be bhyo.

You produce green hydrogen from biogenic residues. What is special about your process – and which raw materials can you use?

What makes our process special is that we fully utilize biogenic residues in a closed loop – without waste, without emissions. We produce organic hydrogen, meaning CO₂-negative hydrogen, directly on-site from materials that are already available.

We use local residuals such as organic waste, harvest residues, and green cuttings – but also more complex material streams like sewage sludge, which have previously been expensive to dispose of. Our process is modular and flexible, allowing it to adapt optimally to regional conditions.

Another special feature: we also separate biogenic CO₂ – for example, for material use in industry – and generate surplus heat that can be reused locally. This means we provide far more than just green hydrogen: we create real energetic and material cycles.

You are currently operating a test facility on the site of the Speyer wastewater treatment plant. How did this cooperation come about, and how important is working with municipal utilities for you?

The cooperation with the city of Speyer arose from a shared interest: using local biogenic residues in a meaningful and sustainable way, rather than disposing of them in an expensive and energy-intensive process. The wastewater treatment plant was the ideal location for us to test our system in real-life conditions – with actual material flows and in direct exchange with a municipal partner.

Working with municipalities is absolutely essential for us. After all, a large portion of biogenic residues is generated exactly there – in cities, towns, and waste management companies. Our technology is designed to operate decentrally, modularly, and without complex logistics. Municipal utilities not only provide the materials, but also the knowledge of local conditions and proximity to the community.

To put it simply: if we want to make the energy transition truly local, it can only be done in cooperation with municipalities.

What are the next development steps for bhyo – and where do you see concrete opportunities for collaboration with businesses, municipalities, or research institutions?

We are currently preparing the transition from the test phase to the scaling phase. Our focus is clearly on the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, where our company is also based. Thanks to the H2Rivers project, the hydrogen infrastructure in this area is already well developed. At the same time, the region offers a wide range of stakeholders – from municipalities to industry to research institutions – making it an ideal innovation space.

We are also working on further developing our technology – for example, improving CO₂ capture efficiency, heat recovery, and the reuse of by-products such as fly ash, which we aim to make materially usable. In the area of data integration for material flow optimization, we are actively forming partnerships. This opens up exciting opportunities for research institutions – particularly in the fields of bioeconomy, process engineering, and resource efficiency.

For municipalities, we offer solutions for rethinking their waste and energy concepts – both economically and in a climate-friendly way. And for companies – especially in industry, logistics, and agriculture – our system offers opportunities to use green hydrogen, waste heat, or biogenic CO₂.

We are actively looking for partners who want to help us implement a local circular economy. Not tomorrow. But now.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Yes – we’d like to emphasize this: the energy transition isn’t happening somewhere far away. It starts right here. Locally. With what we already have. Our biogenic residues are not a burden – they are a huge opportunity.

If we start rethinking resources, waste becomes value, climate costs become climate benefits – and local material streams become real future solutions.

Nature provides an inspiring example: ants produce more biomass than all wild birds and mammals combined. Yet they generate no waste – everything is reused, recycled, or returned to the cycle.

That’s exactly our goal: an economy that functions like an ant colony – efficient, resource-conscious, and fully circular.

Anyone who wants to be part of that – whether as a municipality, business, or researcher – is in the right place with us.
be green. be bhyo.

​Rolf Schmitt is co-founder and managing director of bhyo. With a background in process engineering and many years of experience in developing sustainable energy solutions, he is driving forward the vision of a decentralized, circular hydrogen economy. At bhyo, he is responsible in particular for strategic direction, technology development, and building partnerships with municipalities, industry, and research.