Our team
Our leadership team brings decades of hands‑on experience in renewable and biomass energy, guiding every project with practical expertise and forward‑thinking vision. With backgrounds spanning engineering, system design, and large‑scale energy development, our directors ensure each solution is delivered with precision, integrity, and a commitment to a cleaner future.
Ben Talbott
Founder/ Managing Director
Ben Talbott is an accomplished leader in the waste‑to‑energy and biomass power sector, with more than 25 years of experience delivering complex renewable energy infrastructure across the UK and Europe.
Known for his strategic vision, technical expertise, and ability to take major projects from concept through planning, financial close, construction, and successful grid connection, Ben has been instrumental in advancing large‑scale sustainable energy solutions.
Most recently, Ben led the development of a major 18 MWe waste‑to‑energy facility at Drakelow. He oversaw the full technical due‑diligence process, verified key technology suppliers, produced investment‑grade engineering cost plans, and represented the process plant team at board level. Ben negotiated significant IChemE Red and Yellow Book contracts and played a central role in structuring the project’s special‑purpose vehicle and securing investment.
Despite unprecedented challenges—from COVID‑19 and Brexit to global supply‑chain disruption—he ensured the facility progressed through commissioning toward a successful first takeover trial.
Prior to this, Ben served as CEO of Biomass Power Ltd (2009–2019), establishing the company as a preferred bidder for major UK and international waste‑to‑energy and biomass projects. He led winning bids for a 4.25 MWe biomass plant in northern Italy, as well as major UK projects with Bouygues in Hoddesdon and Belfast. His work spanned planning approvals, development leadership, contract negotiation under FIDIC and IChemE frameworks, and the delivery of front‑end engineering and design (FEED) packages for multiple large‑scale energy developments.
Earlier in his career, as Managing Director of Talbott’s Biomass Power Ltd (2002–2009), Ben oversaw the design, construction, and commissioning of multiple biomass and waste‑to‑energy plants, including grid‑connected facilities in Eccleshall and West Sussex. He secured major clients such as NHS Trusts, IKEA, and Norbord, and helped pioneer a UK‑based Miscanthus supply chain to support renewable power generation. He also led international projects, including flue‑gas treatment plants and turnkey process‑heating facilities.
Ben began his professional journey at Talbott’s Heating Ltd, progressing from Head of Sales to Sales Director and ultimately Managing Director between 1995 and 2002. During this period, he doubled company turnover, expanded into export markets in Japan and North America, and oversaw the delivery of up to 150 industrial biomass heating systems per year. His leadership covered product development, sales operations, international subsidiaries, and engineering delivery.
Throughout his career, Ben has been recognised for combining deep technical understanding with commercial insight, decisive leadership, and innovative problem‑solving. His projects consistently deliver strong environmental, operational, and financial outcomes—contributing significantly to the UK’s transition toward cleaner, more resilient energy generation.
Martin Riley
Engineering Director
New Title
Dr Yao bin Yang
Technical Director
Director of Thermal Systems & Advanced Combustion Technologies
Dr. Yaobin Yang, PhD in Science and Technology, brings exceptional depth of expertise to Leaf Trio Limited.
Before joining the renewable‑energy industry, he served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield, contributing to leading academic work in combustion, gasification, and heat‑transfer systems.
He later became Technical Director for Talbotts Heating, Biomass Power, and Vital Energy Renewable, where he continues to drive innovation in large‑scale sustainable energy.
Dr. Yang has published over 60 academic research papers and has received two prestigious awards recognising his distinctive scientific contributions.
He is the developer of the renowned FLIC Code, used globally to simulate combustion and gasification processes in grate‑firing systems, and he also contributed to the foundational development of the well‑known FLUENT computational fluid‑dynamics (CFD) software.
Specialising in the design and optimisation of thermal and power systems, Dr. Yang’s expertise spans combustion and gasification technologies, advanced CFD analysis, heat‑transfer engineering, waste‑to‑energy processes, and pollution‑control solutions.
His work continues to shape the renewable and biomass energy sectors, delivering engineering excellence across every project he supports.
