Eco Factor: Human waste to be recycled into biogas for heating and cooking.
We all know that human waste can be converted into methane, which is a combustible fuel that has a wide variety of uses ranging from generating electricity to cooking food. United Utilities is planning a £4.3 million scheme to build sewage treatment plants that can generate sewage gas for hundreds of thousands of people from human waste.
The pilot plant is expected to begin operations by 2011, providing enough gas to power 5,000 homes. Being renewable the plant can churn out methane 24-hours a day to meet the demands of the residents. The gas generated by the process will be odorless and will have to be given an artificial gas smell before it is piped into people’s homes.
Currently, methane generated from wastewater treatment plants is burnt to generate electricity, which United Utilities believe to be an inefficient process. However, its direct use to heat homes and cook food is definitely a better alternative. Once the pilot project starts to produce methane, similar plants will be constructed in other places as well to provide the same to hundreds of thousands of homeowners.
Via: DailyMail
