Sewage to power British homes
Energy created from sewage has today been released to the national grid. The “green” fuel has been created at Didcot Sewage Works in Oxfordshire. The sewage is converted into biomethane or biogas, which is then feed in to the national grid, for cooking and heating gas use. The green fuel can currently supply up to 200 homes and is expected to role out across the UK.
The new scheme has cost £2.5 million and is a joint venture by British Gas, Thames Water and Scotia Gas Networks. The process takes about 20 days to convert the raw sewage into gas, with the gas being cleaned before pumped into the grid.
Mr Huhne, the Climate Change Secretary, said "It's not every day that a Secretary of State can announce that, for the first time ever in the UK, people can cook and heat their homes with gas generated from sewage. He continued "This is a historic day for the companies involved, for energy from waste technologies, and for progress to increase the amount of renewable energy in the UK."
The chief executive of Thames Water, Martin Baggs said the scheme was "a sign of what is to come".
05/10/10
