FULL
CIRCLE FOR EMERALD
BIOGAS BOSS
Starting out as a South West
Durham Training Apprentice, life
and business has continued to
flourish for ANTONY WARREN.
He talks to SARAH BURNS…
As one of three company directors of the
region’s first commercial food waste anaerobic
digestion (AD) plant – Emerald Biogas – Antony
Warren has developed his knowledge and trade
from a variety of places.
And at just 35-years-old, this Newcastle
University graduate, alongside partners Adam
Warren and Ian Bainbridge, has big plans for the
already successful energy plant.
In the beginning, however, he probably never
thought of such a thing happening to him.
His career began with training apprenticeships
at major engineering firms including Panasonic
and Fujitsu. On top of those, he spent time at
Aycliffe Business Park’s very own South West
Durham Training (SWDT).
Speaking of the Engineering Apprenticeship
provider, SDWT, he said: “I loved my time there;
it was a brilliant environment to learn in. What
we were taught was made to be engaging
and really hands-on, so you actually wanted to
learn.
”
In 1995, he spent four years as a Maintenance
Apprentice for Fujitsu, while training at SWDT,
learning skills which would come in handy
years later, as he developed his engineering
capabilities.
Above: Emerald Biogas director Antony Warren on site
Opposite above: Ian Bainbridge, Director, Emerald
Biogas, Janet Street Porter, Adam Warren, Director,
Emerald Biogas, Antony Warren, Director, Emerald
Biogas and Jayne Winter, RDPE Area Manager (North
East) at the Emerald Biogas AD facility in Newton
Aycliffe.
Opposite below: The Emerald Biogas AD facility on
Aycliffe Business Park
Antony also fondly remembers his time at
Panasonic as an Automation Engineer: “We –
me and three other guys – went ‘down south’
to work for the company, which meant we also
had to live together – they were great times, but
you can imagine what went on!”
It was while he was working at Panasonic that
he decided to go after a promotion, yet Antony
was told he would need to have a degree if he
had a desire to go further in the field – unfazed,
he got one.
The local lad from Hamsterley, County Durham,
worked hard to get where he wanted, gaining
both a BA and MA at Newcastle University in
Electronic Engineering, before returning to the
family business – John Warren ABP – shortly
after and transferring his new-found knowledge
into the company.
It was at this time, he decided to take his
experience and skills into a new business
venture.
Emerald Biogas is a subsidiary of the family
business, essentially recycling food waste
into organic, renewable energy resources,
with the waste coming from local retailers,
manufacturers and authorities, from
Northumberland to York and Cumbria.
Antony says: “It’s inevitable waste, that isn’t as
avoidable as people might think, most of the
food is unsellable because it’s out of date, or
there are offcuts from meat products and such.
“Although a lot of companies don’t like to
publically announce it, waste does occur and
it has to be gotten rid of – we provide a better
alternative than adding it to landfills.
”
The energy plant is turning this ‘waste’ into
renewable energy resources, which is being
used to power homes across the National Grid
and with up to 2,000 homes benefiting from
Emerald Biogas energy, yours could be one of
them.
“We can’t specifically say that the lady in the
house around the corner is getting our energy,
”
says Antony. “But the results of this plant are
most certainly being dispersed across the
region.
”
The 50,000-tonne plant currently has seven
staff, including the three directors, but it is
currently operating near-capacity and there is