JUL 29

In a first in Canada, Terasen Gas of B.C. is going to begin purifying “biogas” from human waste at the Lions Gate sewage treatment plant, pumping the product out to its gas utility customers. Yep – read it again if you want, but it’ll still say human waste. Icky, but might as well utilize it.

With a $1.1 million pilot project, Terasen will develop B.C.’s first biogas alternative energy project with the delivery of biomethane through its natural gas distribution system. The project isn’t the first of its kind – the US is beating it to the punch – but the idea is still in infancy.

“This pilot project will provide enough energy for 100 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 500 tonnes each year,” says Doug Stout, Terasen’s VP of marketing and business development.

The gas from the sewage treatment plant is almost pure methane and is produced from the sewage’s digestion or decomposition when solids are separated into liquid waste. That excess gas is usually burned off, but waste not want not, so it’ll be used to power homes. Just think, your poop powering the bathroom light by which you read your newspaper while, well, pooping. Brings a whole new meaning to Terasen's tagline, doesn't it?

Conveniently, a gas pipeline nearby the sewage treatment plant makes it easy to transport the excess gas after impurities have been removed and the gas is pressurized for delivery in the pipe.

The Lions Gate project is slated to begin by July 2009 and Terasen hopes to use what it learns from this pilot program to develop larger-scale applications from harvesting methane from agriculture waste. It looks promising. But I don’t care how much it may help the environment, I’m not going to be strapping on one of those backpacks that those cows in Argentina wear.

Via: Terasen Gas, Times of India, The Vancouver Sun

Comments (6)

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www.bidforgreen.com
written by Robert Wood, July 29, 2008

Well aint that just the, never mind.

All jokes aside sounds like a fantastic program.

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written by dialtone, July 29, 2008

not just the methane needs to be used but all the solids
take all waste streams - all garbage (except metals) all sewage solids & by the "Anything Into Oil" process you have diesel fuel, minerals, methane & water vapor
the simplest is the best

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written by wÒÓ†, July 29, 2008

What a load of crap.

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Good idea
written by Tim, July 29, 2008

Sure there's a bit of a stigma around using human waste, but really, it's time we got over that. This is a really great system because it both reduces the massive amounts of human waste that gets dumped into the environment and it provides a source of renewable energy. Oh, and methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, so burning it instead of letting it evaporate helps with global warming too.

Need I say more? We shouldn't stop with sewage. Municipal solid waste (MSW) can also be burned for methane or processed for ethanol (See A Crappy Solution).

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@Good Idea
written by simon, July 30, 2008

MSW has many uses. After gaseous decomposition has removed the high energy hydrocarbons, the particulate solid matter remaining can be used as filler/bulking agent in fast foods.

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ass gas
written by Mat, November 11, 2008

I always have Gas, when are they going to make a device to harvest my farts?

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