Poop and Pee, a Power Source

In England, they started using buses called GENeco Bio-Buses. It runs off of human waste(and discarded food) but first it goes through the Wessex Water treatment plant. The solids are separated from the liquids. There are things called anaerobic digesters that get fed the solids so the bacteria inside eat down the waste. This eating releases gas, most of which is methane. Methane has been a big contributor to global warming, but when we capture methane and burn it, it can be used as a renewable source of energy. In all, the energy produced can be used to power the bus for about 2.5 million miles.

Continuing on fuel cells, there is a plant that captures methane in the same process as above. The plant purifies the gas which is converted into electrical energy. When the gas is mixed with the cell, it reacts with oxygen, thus creating electricity in the end. This electricity is used to power the plant. This way of using energy helps to cut down on fossil fuels, and non-renewable resources. Many other wastewater treatment plants are starting to use this type of energy as well.