Bioenergy Devco adds to executive team

Bioenergy Devco, an Annapolis, Maryland-based manufacturer of anaerobic digester systems, has appointed Michael Woodward to president and Dain Santarelli to chief operating officer.

Woodward previously served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Denver-based Meritage Midstream II, which was involved in gathering, compressing, treating, processing and transporting natural gas. Bioenergy Devco says he played a pivotal role in the $885 million sale of Meritage to Western Midstream in 2023, where he helped manage all aspects of the transaction, while continuing to lead the business and secure additional commercial deals.

Woodward also led the negotiation of a $250 million revenue guarantee contract with a large investment-grade counterparty, which was crucial to the company’s financial stability during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Bioenergy Devco says.

“I am proud and excited to join Bioenergy Devco during a pivotal period of growth and innovation for the organization,” Woodward says. “Building on a strong legacy of traditional energy, we’re embracing the future with renewable energy solutions and look forward to continuing to expand the business to provide renewable natural gas [RNG] derived from our proprietary anaerobic digestion process, supporting the diversity of sustainable fuel offerings in our energy complex.”

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Santarelli joins Bioenergy Devco with experience in operations, project management and engineering within the traditional energy infrastructure sector. Over the last ten years, Santarelli deployed more than $1 billion of capital to deliver complex infrastructure domestically and abroad. He served as vice president and general manager for Powder River Basin Operations at Meritage Midstream II and led more than 70 personnel to maintain operations through the sale of Meritage to Western Midstream.

Santarelli holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering management from the United States Military Academy at West Point, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma State University.

“Bioenergy Devco has built a worldwide reputation as a leader in the production of renewable natural gas through anaerobic digestion, diversifying the mix of sustainable fuels available in the marketplace,” Santarelli says. “This team has done a fantastic job of laying the foundation for our future development, and I am thrilled to join them as we continue to reshape the future of the energy sector.”

In addition to these leadership appointments, Christine McKiernan will assume the role of chief technical officer, focusing on all technical aspects of engineering and construction related to the company’s current operating facilities and future growth projects.

“The coming years will be a time of innovation, growth and commitment to operational excellence for the entire team at Bioenergy Devco,” Bioenergy Devco CEO Nick Thomas says. “The company is fortunate to welcome these industry leaders to support us as we scale our business across North America, producing a stable fuel supply and renewable energy to support communities, businesses and municipalities in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and significantly reduce the amount of solid waste delivered to landfills.”