On December 1 2014, “Bio-Bus” started its official service taking passengers from Bristol Airport to the town of Bath. The bus is the first of its kind in UK and derives its power from biomethane gas that is generated from sewage treatment.
The bus is capable of running for 186 miles on a full tank and causes 30% less emissions when compared with buses that are powered by diesel. The bus is expected to carry 10,000 passengers over a time span of one month on its designated route. GENeco is the company running the sewage treatment facility that provides fuel for the bus.
Mohammed Saddiq from GENeco said, “The bus is powered by people living in the local area, including quite possibly those on the bus itself.” He also revealed that a person’s annual waste can help power the bus for 37 miles. Most importantly, there are no smelly fumes to be worried about.
It’s time to put on your science caps. Biomethane gas is produced from the sewage, following the use of bacteria that breaks down the waste into methane and carbon dioxide. While this process is being carried out, impurities are removed continuously to make sure that emissions are odour-free. Bio-bus is the latest testament to the fact that human waste can prove to be a good source of green power.
Human waste is already being used in UK to heat a large number of homes. According to experts, the biomethane gas being produced from human waste can easily take over 10% of the UK’s domestic gas needs, given that the waste is collected and processed fully on a national level. That being said, how many of you would travel in a bus that is being powered by your poop or someone else’s poop? Let us know in the comments section below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-NU_Y33aaY