Florida City Will Soon be Powered by its Own Poo

With a logo like that, one might not expect MaxWest Energy to be in the business of converting human waste sludge into energy...but that's what they do.

MaxWest has just partnered with the city of Sanford in Central Florida to create a sludge to energy plant. The plant will convert the sludge that comes out of Sanford's water treatment plant into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can both be combusted. So the waste will be taken care of, and as the sludge ultimately came from biologics (the corn and cows that Sanfordites eat) it's pretty much carbon neutral.

And, of course, there's a financial benefit as well. Over the life of the MaxWest contract, the city of Sanford will save about $9 million over the cost of burning natural gas for the same energy.

Via Renewable Energy World

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written by josh, March 28, 2008

This is really interesting, especially since it's going to save the city money. I just wonder how much the plant is up front compared to their traditional powerplant. Also, if the price of oil keeps going up and drives up the price of fertilizer, we might want to consider using our waste as night soil.

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written by David Reymond, March 29, 2008

I don't mean to discount the usefulness of this sort of thing, but this certainly won't be carbon neutral , if you consider all the energy used in food production and the methane given off by the cows, among other things. But this will almost definitely have a significant positive net effect on GHG emissions compared to treating it normally.

I would definitely like to know more of the details about this project, like where the byproduct from the sludge reaction goes, what kind of methods they use to purify the gas, and what the initial costs and costs of operation are.
This also may not be the most attractive sounding thing for the layperson to hear about; it is likely a strange idea to most people.

well, if they didn't
written by ljd, March 30, 2008

If they didn't build the plant and use poo for fuel, people would still eat and all the carbon pollution involved in food production will still be there. So the source of the poo is irrelevant. What is relevant is that this plant displaces other less green energy production methods.

Pollution?
written by JT, March 30, 2008

I wonder about the level of pollution that this type of plant might create?

Over thinking the problem.
written by G.C.H., July 31, 2008

Its my opinion we as a people over think some problems.
We currently have the means to have free energy in our back yards. Septic systems.
Human waste has different properties than a cow. Go by a the barn were the cow is and then the old out home house. Your nose can tell you there is a differance. And yet everyone knows what the smell is. Our diets have a lot to do w/ it not to mention cows have extra stomachs.
Sometimes all we need is information - Like the B.T.U. content of animal/human waste vs Nat'l gas.
Then get off the couch and make it work. Yes...Yes...yes one must always have a plan of attack. But do something w/ the plan. Getting your hand dirty is working the plan.
And good people, I own a farm...And have learnt way...way back that this world is made of poop literly. Why not benfeit from it again

;)

Highjacked Economy
written by Uncle B, August 27, 2008

The green solutions save the economy by providing some fuels that displace oil consumption. Always remember that any small step towards cutting oil consumption, no matter how small, reduces damage to the environment but also weakens the throat-hold the OPEC countries have on us! Reusing sludge for energy is a win - win if ever I saw one, Congratulations and Thank You, Sanford.

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