You gotta hand it to those people who are creating real-world solutions to real-world problems. Giant solar-collecting space lasers are pretty cool...but Sintex is for real. The Indian plastics company has created a very simple "digester" that takes something we have too much of (poop) and turns it into something we don't have enough of (energy).

The digester can actually take any organic material, including agricultural waste, kitchen scraps, or cow dung, and convert it to methane. This happens naturally, of course, and is happening in your septic tank (or at your sewage treatment plant) right now. The difference is that Sintex's biogas reactor has a little tube that moves the methane into a storage container. From there, the methane can be used for any natural gas application. Cooking, drying clothes, heating the home, boiling water, etc.

A "primed" digester (primed with cow dung, for a source of good bacteria) can digest all the waste of a four-person household and produce enough energy for that household to cook all of its meals! The device costs $425 and will pay for itself in less than two years. The Indian government has agreed to subsidize 1/3 of the cost of the units. In theory, that will actually save the government money, as they won't have to deal with the waste in other ways.

Sintex has only installed about 100 of the devices...but just wait. When real-world problems get real-world solutions, it's hard to hold them back from success.

Via Forbes

Comments (5)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by net97surferx , February 29, 2008

As with most composters, 'recyclers' -- this one uses organic refuse and can 'even use cow dung'.

Normally, there is a caveat that makes it clear that human poodoo can not be used... as it contains certain organisms which .... well, it's not good to transmit them to compost or garden growth or the water table or... whatever.

So, if one is making strictly for methane... is it animal 'doo' or any 'doo' will do? I wonder since there are also so many looking at gray water recycling and even 'purified' water waste.

any doo will do
written by sam clark , March 02, 2008

If the digester is operated in the thermophilic (105-120 degrees F)most pathogens will be destroyed.

miss
written by holly , March 05, 2008

i really love trees and u ecogeek lets meet at my forest tommorrow 8:00

...
written by holly , March 05, 2008

...
written by marie , May 15, 2008

amazing, but is there any downfall to biogas machines?

Write comment

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

Add Comment