Renewable natural gas created from human waste
One town in Colorado giving new meaning to term “bad gas”
The city of Grand Junction, CO is getting creative with its human waste processing, and, in turn, is now fueling vehicles with renewable natural gas.
The Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant currently processes Grand Junction’s human waste into renewable natural gas, otherwise known as biomethane, and is then using that biomethane to power a fleet of dozens of city vehicles — garbage trucks, street sweepers, dump trucks and transit buses.
The Colorado city using human waste to run its vehicles https://t.co/Bu8tNVXjzO
— The Guardian (@guardian) January 16, 2016
Old idea, new use
Processing human waste into biomethane is not a brand new concept, and has been utilized in the U.S. for some time. Most commonly, renewable natural gas would ultimately be used to generate electricity through a connection with a generator or series of generators.
But now this Colorado town has taken things a step or two further, and that evidence can be seen driving around on city streets.
Big environmental impacts
Oftentimes, common practice for ridding of excess raw gas is to flare it off into the atmosphere. This new practice in Grand Junction could be reducing greenhouse gases by as much as 60% to 80%.
Other forms of biomethane are possible
Human waste is not the only source that can ultimately result in reusable biomethane — landfills, food waste and animal manure are also possible sources.
Source → The Guardian
