General Article Poo power: is faecal matter the future?

Topic Selected: Energy
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With fossil fuels running low and the human population increasing by the second, the search is on to find the most economically and environmentally sufficient source of energy. The limited amount of space for waste and landfill within the UK means that it is now time to focus on the recycling of waste, rather than the storage of it.

Meanwhile, the UK produces a massive 1.73 million tons of sewage every year… I think you see where we’re going. Read on to see how sewage can be used for power.

How can poo produce power?

With so much waste being produced, there’s clearly huge potential to generate a substantial amount of energy if handled properly. And the use of animal and human waste as a source of energy is nothing new. The Chinese have been using covered sewage tanks dating back to the 13th century as a source of energy, and Bombay leper colonies in 1859 were pumping sewage through anaerobic digestion plants to create power.

The process isn’t as brain-numbing nor stomach-churning as...

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