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Energy: Sewage

Answer

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is supporting three principal research activities within UK universities on the production of energy from human sewage treatment. The Biological Fuel Cells consortium is directly investigating the use of sewage sludge for electricity generation. The project is studying the use of bacteria found in waste and the optimisation of the system through new synthetic enzymes and novel electrode technology. The UK Sustainable Hydrogen Economy Consortium is investigating the development and optimisation of the biological generation of sustainable hydrogen by dark fermentation of biomass. This work is concerned with sewage as one of a range of waste materials as a hydrogen source. The Intensified Integrated Bio-Refinery project is a consortium of five universities funded as part of the EPSRC Green Chemistry initiative. In this project, biomass waste such as sewage sludge is converted directly to bioethanol via gasification, producing (together with waste gases) hydrogen and syngas which, after cleaning, can be used as chemical building blocks of larger molecules such as ammonia, ethanol and methanol. Alternatively, syngas can be used as a fuel for internal combustion engine or fuel cells to generate electricity. Electricity generation from sewage is also eligible for support under the renewables obligation (RO). The Government have consulted on proposals to reform the RO and are considering how best to allocate support to different technologies in light of consultation with all interested groups, including those planning to produce energy from sewage. Details of the obligation and the recent consultation can be found at www.berr.gov.uk/consultations/page13960.html.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

5413; 695 c112-3WA

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Biofuels Electricity generation Sewage Research Water treatment

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk