The A4 bus service from Bristol to Bath in the United Kingdom might as well be called “the number two”. The U.K.’s first “bio-bus” is powered by biomethane gas, which is generated through the treatment of sewage.
Each tank of gas takes the waste five people flush down the toilet annually. With a full tank, the bus can travel up to 186 miles, while producing up to 30% fewer emissions compared to diesel-powered buses.
Biomethane gas is generated from sewage using bacteria that breaks down bio-waste into methane and carbon dioxide. With diminishing landfill space a pesky problem in Britain and the European continent, converting human waste and food scraps into energy also skirts incineration and dumping waste into a landfill. Throughout the process, all impurities are removed to produce odor-free emissions.
The use of biomethane is already established elsewhere in Europe. Sweden, for example, has long been a leader in converting sewage into transportation fuel. In the U.K., human waste is already used to heat thousands of homes. Experts estimate that biomethane produced from sewage could replace around 10% of the U.K.’s domestic gas needs if the nation’s waste is used at full capacity.
The quest to turn poop into pep for vehicles is hardly new. Who would not want to profit off of a resource that for ages was considered to have no value?
Source: CNN, cleantechnica.com