Here's how your North East poo is to be converted into sustainable aviation fuel thanks to ground breaking Power from Poo project
Every time you go to the toilet you could soon be doing your bit to reduce the region’s carbon footprint as Northumbrian Water unveiled its ground breaking Power from Poo project to convert poop into sustainable aviation fuel for aircraft.
Ait travel is one of the world’s biggest contributors to carbon emissions, but a new ‘Green Machine’ will see see experts using algae cultivated at Northumbrian Water sewage plants to extract nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater, recover it and then convert it into sustainable fuels.
The project, which has used a £6.5m investment from the water company, will help to reduce environmental impacts of waste treatment and will save up to £1m per year in operational costs.
Northumbrian Water is leading the development of the project to scale up the algal treatment of wastewater and is working with partners at American-based company, BrightWave, and filtration experts at Liqoflux.
The Green Machine is set to be trialled at some Northumbrian Water sewage plants this summer (2025).
Angela MacOscar, Head of Innovation at Northumbrian Water Group, said: “The Green Machine is set to revolutionise the way we treat waste, and we are incredibly excited that we have started work on this brand new project.
“With our ‘Power from Poo’ project, where we create green energy using the sludge that is left over from wastewater treatment, we have already shown that we are leading the industry in pushing the boundaries of innovation – and this is set to be carried forward with this project.
“Not only will this help to develop a value-added product, but it will also help to boost us forward towards our own net zero goals and help us to achieve our net zero ambitions.”
Tim Shaw, President at BrightWave, added: “BrightWave is thrilled to support Northumbrian Water in this innovative and important project. It will be one of Europe's largest indoor algae-based initiatives and a model for future applications.
“We're excited about how this venture's integration of wastewater treatment, SAF development and a low-cost profile will position it as a viable and relevant worldwide solution."