Overview of confirmed moderators

Verband der Deutschen Biokraftstoffindustrie e.V. (VDB)

German Biogas Association

Since July 2021, Dirk Bonse holds the position as head of department for renewable gases at the German Biogas Association. His responsibilities include coordinating work in the areas of biomethane, biogenic hydrogen for use in the electricity, heat and transport sectors, querying the needs as well as giving advise to biogas plant operators and companies by creating concepts to improve the industry's framework conditions related to the utilisation of biomethane and biogenic hydrogen. Dirk has been associated with the industry for more than ten years: As former sales and project manager as well as an independent consultant, renewable gases, including biogenic hydrogen from biogas and synthesis gas are his specialty. The material or energetic use of digestates, for example, is also one of his areas of expertise, alongside with material utilisation of such gases, including CO2 capture and use.   

Since December 2022
DSLV Federal Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics e.V.
Head of Environment | Climate and Energy Policy

November 2020 - November 2022
REWE Group | Rewe Zentral AG, Cologne
Deputy Team Lead Goods Flow Control and Disposition

October 2018 - October 2020
Cargonexx GmbH, Hamburg
Transport Manager | Coordination Business / Professional Associations & Chambers

January 2018 - September 2018
Nagel Group | Kraftverkehr Nagel SE & Co. KG, Hamburg Branch
Dispatcher International Land Transport

August 2015 - January 2018
Nagel Group | Kraftverkehr Nagel SE & Co. KG, Branch Office Hamburg
Commercial vocational training, freight forwarding and logistics services clerk

Rostock University, CIMAC Deutschland President

• since 2016: Professorship (Senior Professor) for Piston Machines and Internal Combustion Engines at the University of Rostock
• 2008 - 2016: Managing director of FVTR GmbH
• 2008:  Doctorate in engineering at the University of Rostock
• 1990 - 1996: Mechanical engineering studies at University of Rostock and University of Southampton
• President of CIMAC Germany – VDMA Large Engines
• Member of Consulting Committee for the „Maritime Research Programme“ at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Waste-Based Fuels Association (MVaK)  

• 2015 - today: Mittelstandsverband abfallbasierter Kraftstoffe e.V. (MVaK) Managing Director
• 1986 - 2015: ADM - Archer Daniels Midland Company, Apprenticeship and various management positions
• 2019 - today: European Waste-to-Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA) Board member
• 2019 - today: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitätsmanagement Biodiesel e.V. (AGQM) Board member

Dr.-Ing. Kati Görsch is head of the “Renewable Fuels in Transport” working group in the DBFZ's Biorefineries division and is therefore responsible for its strategic direction. The working group's topics include monitoring the market and technology development of plants for renewable fuels, identifying fields of application and the associated challenges, such as infrastructure issues, as well as evaluating and assessing the political and legal framework conditions. The techno-economic evaluation of fuel options for different drive systems and, as a technical topic, the production of advanced fuels and fuel precursors using hydrotreatment of biogenic oils are also part of the working group's portfolio.

Vice Chairman of the aireg Board and Head of the Institute for Environmental Engineering and Energy Economics (IUE) at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)  

• 92 -93 Head of the department "Environment and Energy" at the Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft (KTBL), Darmstadt
• 93 -00 Head of the department "New Energy Technologies and Technology Analysis (NET)" at the IER of the University of Stuttgart
• 01-08 Managing Director of the Institute for Energetics and Environment (IE) gemein-nützige GmbH, Leipzig
• 03-06 Honorary Professor for "Renewable Energies" at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg
• 06-present Full Professor at the Technical University of Hamburg; Head of the Institute for Environmental Technology and Energy Economics (IUE)
• 08 -10 Scientific Managing Director of the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ), Leipzig

Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts (TH OWL)

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Krahl studied chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig. In 1996, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Krahl began lecturing at TU Braunschweig before moving to a professorship at Coburg University of Applied Sciences in 1997. There he took over the office of Vice President and Research and International Affairs from 2009 to 2014 and was also responsible for the Career Service. In July 2016, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Krahl was elected as the new President of Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe and has held this office since 1 December 2016. Prof. Dr Jürgen Krahl has been conducting research on the topic of fuel e and emissions since 1990. From 2008 to 2016, he was spokesman of the board of the Technology Transfer Centre Automotive at Coburg University of Applied Sciences (TAC). He is a founding member of the Fuels Joint Research Group and Chairman of the UFOP Expert Commission on Biofuels and Renewable Resources.

German Bioethanol Industry Association e.V. (BDB^e)

Christine Kroke has been press spokesperson at the Federal Association of the German Bioethanol Industry (BDB^e) since 1 April 2020. Previously, Kroke was Corporate Communications Manager at the health start-up Vivy.

Chairman, VDI Fachgesellschaft Technologies of Life Sciences

Sonja is Chief Strategy Officer at Carbon Pulse, a news agency specialised in carbon markets, net zero and biodiversity.

Based in Brussels, Sonja is an energy, climate and environment reporter and conference moderator with close to 20 years’ experience. Prior to joining Carbon Pulse, she was Editor-in-Chief of Energy Monitor (part of GlobalData) from 2021-24. As part of this role, she also headed up GlobalData’s other energy titles Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology.

Sonja previously co-founded the start-up Energy Post and has written for many other energy and climate publications over the years, including S&P Global Platts, Nature Climate Change, Foresight Climate & Energy, viEUWs and ENDS Europe.

She has an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London and a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford. She was the winner of the BBC Young Broadcaster of the Year Award in 2005. Sonja speaks fluent English and Dutch, with a good command of German and French.

German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDB^e), Managing Director

After twelve years of association work in the areas of real estate and tax policy, Stefan Walter was most recently in-house counsel and head of the tax department at the German Farmers' Association from November 2014 to February 2018.

German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDB^e)

Consultant for Policy Issues and Sustainability

Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg)      

• since 1993: Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
• 1988-1993: ThyssenKrupp, Project management of research and development in oils and fats technology
• 1983-1988:Hamburg University of Technology, Research in thermochemical liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass