Dr. Tony Yates, Managing Director

Dr. Tony Yates is Managing Director of Nephin Renewable Gas. He is widely regarded as one of the UK and Ireland’s leading AD experts. Tony has over 25 years experience in the waste and renewables industry, including 22 years working for international environmental consultancy, SLR Consulting, where he headed up the company’s AD advisory business, managing a multi disciplinary team of 20 scientists and engineers. Over the past 15 years, Tony has delivered AD projects for government departments, environmental and planning regulators, industrial companies, technology providers and investment companies. In a technical due diligence capacity, Tony has delivered advice on numerous M&A projects in the AD sector.   

With a first degree in chemical engineering and a Doctorate from Surrey University in carbon accounting, Tony is passionate about the part biomethane can play in decarbonizing modern society. His expertise have been utilised on a number of recent projects in Ireland and assignments throughout the UK, Europe, South Africa, Australia and North America including a memorable project in Deadhorse, Alaska - the town at the “end of the Earth”.   

In his spare time, Tony runs a woodland regeneration project and supports a local arts centre as a Trustee.    

Graeme Lochhead, Commercial Director

Graeme is Commercial Director of Nephin Renewable Gas and brings with him over 35 years of experience in the agricultural, farm design, construction, waste, and anaerobic digestion (AD) industry sectors.

Graeme started his career in Scottish Agricultural Colleges as a designer, building consultant, and lecturer before moving to Cirencester as Senior Lecturer and Consultant at the Royal Agricultural College where he contributed to their “first of a kind” AD plant. His subsequent foray into AD was as Project Manager for one of the first Food Waste Plants in the UK. Since then, he has held senior positions in several renewable energy companies such as Head of Construction and Operations for Greener for Life, Operations Director for Vale Green Energy, Head of Production and Projects for Future Biogas and Commercial Director with Advanced Biofuel Solutions Limited. Since 2000, Graeme has served as an international consultant and expert witness for a variety of clients including the Government of Malaysia as well as AD projects in Hungary, Barbados, Mexico, USA and Australia.

He has experience and involvement in over 40 AD products including Greener for Life, Vale Green Energy, Future Biogas, First Milk and Brewdog. In delivering these 40 projects, Graeme has worked in project management, commissioning, operations & turn around, and collaborated with multiple AD tech providers from CHP and grid entry providers to biomethane upgrader specialists. 

With a background in Agriculture (a dairy farmer’s son from Dumfries and Galloway), Graeme has combined his engineering and construction experience with his solution-finding skills to maximise AD plant efficiency and productivity.

Graeme has degrees in both Structural and Mechanical Engineering (from University of Strathclyde and University of Newcastle on Tyne, respectively) and is a Nuffield Farming Scholar (2008).

Michael McEniry, Technical Director

Michael is Technical Director of Nephin Renewable Gas. Prior to joining Nephin Renewable Gas, Michael served as a founding Director of NRGE Ltd., a multidisciplinary agricultural consultancy firm and one of Ireland’s leading Agri-waste management businesses. Michael has an impressive track record in the renewable gas industry which spans 20+ years, providing critical regulatory and technical advice on biogas development projects from planning phase through to commissioning.

Prior to NRGE, Michael developed extensive experience in the food, waste, and extractive sectors, working as a Project Engineer for a mechanical engineering contracting company.

Over the past 20 years, Michael has overseen the development and expansion of multiple intensive agricultural facilities including pig, poultry and dairy, skillfully managing these projects through planning, licensing, construction and commissioning. Since 2002, Michael has been directly involved with 16 biogas development projects (including one of Ireland’s first biogas facilities in Timoleague, County Cork), navigating them through various stages of logistical planning as well as procedural and environmental regulatory approvals. Michael’s direct involvement with these projects required a comprehensive understanding of collaborating with stakeholders at both a local level and national level.

Michael holds a degree in Production Engineering from the University of Limerick.

Michael Sweeney, Operations Director

Michael is Operations Director of Nephin Renewable Gas, having previously served as a founding Director of NRGE Ltd., a multidisciplinary agricultural consultancy firm and one of Ireland’s leading Agri-waste management businesses. With a wide breadth of experience spanning two decades, Michael has been instrumental in serving Ireland’s intensive Agricultural, Food Extractive, and Waste Management Sectors, providing invaluable expertise in regulatory compliance.

Michael has also acted as an Environmental Consultant for over 40 facilities operating under EPA Licenses, specializing in nutrient recovery of animal slurries, organic sludge, and all bi-product materials suitable for agricultural application, as well as treatment in anaerobic digestion (AD). Michael worked in the intensive dairy sector and served as the manager of regional farm relief services, overseeing a contracted workforce of over 200 individuals serving dairy, beef, tillage, and pig farmers as well as contractors.

Since 2002, Michael has been directly involved with the development of 16 biogas facilities, navigating them through the intricacies of the regulatory approvals, such as planning, grid connection and environmental approvals, while ensuring extensive engagement with local stakeholders, recognizing the importance of their input in the development process. From 2000-2003, NRGE sought and were granted planning for development of 10 AD plants.

As a Director of Timoleague Agrigen Ltd., Michael has invaluable hands-on experience in the development, commissioning, and operation of anaerobic digestion facilities in Ireland. In 2019, he played a pivotal role in the successful commissioning of the plant and subsequent operation.

Michael served for 12 years as Vice Chair of the Aquaculture License Appeals Board, a role directly appointed by the last four Ministers for Agriculture Food and the Marine.