‘Energy Coming out of Our Butts’: Alberta Firms Convert Human Waste into biofuel
(Calgary CTV News) A new pilot program in a community east of Calgary aims to revolutionize the way humans treat raw sewage by transforming it into raw water, fertilizer and biofuel. Through a partnership with the City of Chestermere, MAGNA Engineering and Eco-Growth Environmental Inc. are using engineered wetlands and dehydration technology to treat sewage.
Representatives say those methods of dealing with human waste have been in practice in small communities in Europe since the 1920s but haven’t been widely adopted in North America.
…
First, the liquids and solids are separated through a micro-screening process. The liquid component is then sent through a series of sub-surface wetlands that treat the waste, turning it into raw water that can be safely released into the environment or used for irrigation, process water or other purposes.
The solid waste is sent through Eco-Growth’s equipment that removes all moisture, kills pathogens and reduces odour. After that, the bio solids are then loaded into the Eco-Boiler and burned at temperatures of more than 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the bio solids have been turned into ash, they can then be used as fertilizer or as a component in road-building material. READ MORE