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Permission granted by Bioenergy Devco
Name: Nick Thomas
New title: CEO, Bioenergy Devco
Previous title: Chairman and CEO, Meritage Midstream Services II
Nick Thomas takes over for Shawn Kreloff, an entrepreneur with decades of experience who founded the Maryland-based company as a research project, according to an archived bio of the leader on the company’s website.
“I am honored to lead Bioenergy Devco as we enter our next phase of growth and innovation,” Thomas said in a statement. “With the exceptional and proven team we have in place, we will continue providing advanced anaerobic digestion solutions that generate renewable energy and help lead the transition to a carbon-neutral economy by reducing greenhouse gasses generated from food waste.”
Kreloff will continue to serve the company as a member of its board of directors. In a statement, he said he looks forward to supporting Thomas in his new role.
“I am proud of what Bioenergy Devco has accomplished to pioneer the development of advanced anaerobic digestion technology and plant development, focused on food waste, in North America and Europe,” Kreloff said.
Thomas comes to Bioenergy Devco, or BDC, with a long background in the energy business. He most recently led privately held Meritage Midstream Services II, a natural gas provider in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. Western Midstream acquired that company in October for about $885 million. Prior to that, Thomas led Meritage Midstream Services III to a $600 million (Canadian) sale to a joint venture between SemCams and KKR, according to the release.
The energy industry has become increasingly intertwined with the anaerobic digestion space as natural gas produced by organic materials becomes more lucrative. Thomas has worked in energy since at least 1999, according to his LinkedIn profile. He will now lead a company whose divisions have built more than 250 facilities and operate more than 150 organics recycling and energy generation facilities worldwide.
The company recently constructed Maryland’s largest anaerobic digestion facility in Jessup. It’s also pursuing dozens of other projects, thanks in part to a $30 million investment from a Maryland investment firm last year. In Long Beach, California, it’s in exclusive negotiations to build and operate a 314,000 ton-per-year digester.