Alternative Energy: Turn Your Poo Into Fuel!

By on August 14, 2010 in News 18
Photo: Wessex Water

Photo: Wessex Water

Want an alternative use for the contents of your septic tank?

Mohammed Saddiq has the answer, the poop-mobile! Bristol streets have been the first test run of the methane-powered car which allows an alternative to petroleum fuel. BBC covers the story:

The BBC’s John Maguire is given a tour of the methane-powered car by developer Mohammed Saddiq

A “poo-powered” VW Beetle has taken to the streets of Bristol in an attempt to encourage sustainable motoring.

The Bio-Bug runs on processed methane gas generated as part of the raw sewage treatment process.

Engineers from Wessex Water estimate the waste from 70 homes would generate enough gas to run the car for 10,000 miles (16,100km).

Despite being powered by fuel created from sewage, the car does not smell unpleasant.

“It performs like a normal car – you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas,” a company spokesman said.

To use biogas as vehicle fuel without affecting vehicle performance or reliability the gas needs to be treated to remove the carbon dioxide content.

GENeco, part of Wessex Water, imported specialist “cleaning” equipment to treat the raw methane generated at the sewage treatment works in Avonmouth.

The spokesman added: Our site has been producing biogas for many years which we use to generate electricity to power the site and export to the National Grid.

“With the surplus gas we had available we wanted to put it to good use in a sustainable and efficient way.

“We decided to power a vehicle on the gas offering a sustainable alternative to using fossil fuels which we so heavily rely on in the UK.”

Watch BBC news report video here to see the poo-powered beetle

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  • Connie Dobbs

    This violates my patent on the cyber-ass, which replaces the lower intestine with a bio-recycling plant which generates energy from your poop! In turn, you can charge your iphone.

  • Honuman

    This is the best thing I've heard in a long time. Just awesome. Finally a truly recyclable power source.

  • Hornet Montana

    What comes out of the tailpipe must smell FABULOUS.

    • Belcat

      Read again: No smells.

  • krbbagel

    Now if only this thing had an alternate fuel tank under the driver's seat so you could fuel up while driving…

  • FergalR

    Keep your effing lentil-encrusting stools away from my motor you brainwashed apocalyptists.

  • GoodDoktorBad

    Keep yer paws out of my litter box!

  • sartorius

    You know you want it, baby. GeneCo's got it!

  • Haystack

    I hope this catches on just so people start to complain about the “Big Poop” lobby.

  • Earbudcontender

    guess whos gonna become rich for selling fuel…

  • Vanfan12

    i think they should make acar that can take ANYthing and make it into fuel. like trash water and stuff so when u have trash in the car, well there u go! a trash can AND a fuel!!! 2 in 1! (im so wierd….. DONT MIND THS COMMENT GUYS!!) :| *how embarising* :(

    • Haystack

      Like the time machine in Back to the Future after Doc Brown upgrades it.

      The problem is density. Fire/combustion converts most things into energy, but a bag of coal or a barrel of oil gets you a lot more than a comparable volume of whatever you have in your trash can. But still, I wonder if it's possible, in principal, to build an engine that could convert whatever you put into it, so that fuel sources could be 100% flexible.

    • Neight_

      Its called Back to the Future

  • Ray

    “70 homes would generate enough gas to run the car for 10,000 miles” makes no sense. 70 homes over what period? A week, a year, what?

  • Haystack

    Like the time machine in Back to the Future after Doc Brown upgrades it.

    The problem is density. Fire/combustion converts most things into energy, but a bag of coal or a barrel of oil gets you a lot more than a comparable volume of whatever you have in your trash can. But still, I wonder if it's possible, in principal, to build an engine that could convert whatever you put into it, so that fuel sources could be 100% flexible.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-Miller/100000952005408 Bruce Miller

    Don't let the Americans see this! I really works! A pig farmer in Ontario Canada runs his Volvo on bio-gas from his piggery! Canadians want free medical care, post secondary education, dental care just like in France! To pay for all this socialist luxury we need to sell the Saudi Arabian sized Tar Sands to the U.S.A by the barrel, at world prices! If they knew that Soar, Wave, Wind, Hydro, Tidal, Geothermal, Nuclear worked they would electrify and we would have no customer – likewise if they realized that American humanure is a rich source of methane gas when bio-gassed(richest in the world! better than Asian pigs!) Canadians would lose market as they converted to the cheaper gas! Hush this up! Keep Yankee Doodle addicted to oil! It worked for the Arabs, why not the Canadians?

  • Polymorph Legion

    i don't want to smell that exhaust…

  • Belcat

    Read again: No smells.