Portrait in the special feature on the Innovation Award

On 28 November 2025, the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel published a portrait of pyropower GmbH in its special feature on the Berlin-Brandenburg Innovation Award. The article by Jürgen Hoffmann appeared for the award ceremony, at which pyropower was among the winners. It introduces the Cottbus-based company, its two founders Lucie Töpfer and Sebastian Kießling, and the Pyro-ClinX plant.

At a glance

• Der Tagesspiegel published a portrait of pyropower on 28 November 2025 in its special feature on the Berlin-Brandenburg Innovation Award.
• The occasion was the award ceremony in Wildau, at which pyropower was one of the five winners.
• The focus is on the founders Lucie Töpfer and Sebastian Kießling and the Pyro-ClinX plant.
• The Pyro-ClinX converts residual wood into electricity, heat and biochar.
• The article is an editorial portrait, not an advertisement.

Topics of the article

The article covers the journey from the initial idea to use at customer sites:

• The idea: The starting point was the question of how carbon can be bound in biochar while generating energy at the same time, and in a way that makes economic sense.
• The technology: The Pyro-ClinX combines pyrolysis with an externally fired micro gas turbine. Residual wood and other biogenic residues are turned into electricity, heat and biochar.
• The application: As customers, the article names companies, energy suppliers and municipalities that want to generate electricity and heat locally at predictable costs.
• The region: The founders want to help shape the transition in Lusatia, away from lignite and towards regional energy from residues.
• The approach: For pyropower, climate protection and economic viability belong together. Only solutions that pay off will be adopted widely.

Since the portrait

Since the portrait, pyropower has continued its development from award winner to plant manufacturer. The Pyro-ClinX 150 delivers 150 kW gross electrical output and heat up to max. 450 kW. In addition, we provide engineering for pyrolysis projects, including plants from other manufacturers. In May 2026 the VORSPRUNG business award of the East German Economic Forum followed.

More in our press release on the Innovation Award and on our Services page.

The Berlin-Brandenburg Innovation Award

The Innovationspreis Berlin-Brandenburg is a well-known technology award in the region. The states of Berlin and Brandenburg present it each year to five companies whose products or processes are technically new and have market potential. For pyropower, it was the second award in this competition, following the prize for the turbine in 2019. This time the award recognised the Pyro-ClinX as a plant ready for series production that combines energy generation and biochar production in one process.

More on this topic

• Pyro-ClinX: the award-winning plant in detail
• Turbine technology: how the externally fired micro gas turbine works
• Media coverage of the Innovation Award 2025
• News and press: all news and events

For editors and interested readers

Would you like to report on pyropower or find out whether a pyrolysis plant suits your site? For press enquiries, contact us at info@pyro-power.com. For projects, please use our contact form.