Kenya: Is [human] Waste Power the Future?

Think Africa Press ^ | June 21, 2012 | Rachuonyo Duncan

[kevcol]

With shortages of power and rising costs of fuels, Embu prison in Kenya has turned to human excrement to generate power.

Bio-gas now fuels three boilers in the prison kitchen, and firewood costs have been cut down by more than half. Many hope the innovative form of recycling and generating power could be applied in not only all prisons across the country but also in other institutions to significantly reduce energy bills. Waste not, want not

To generate power, human waste is put into a machine called the "digester" and bio-gas is produced by bacteria during a 30-day fermentation period. The gas, which consists mainly of methane, is then captured and burnt as fuel.

Once the bio-gas has been produced and stored in the collection chamber, the remaining slurry is pushed out through the outlet of the dry bend. There the remaining water is purified and the slurry is later released to the farm.

[kevcol]

Just you wait - coming soon to Seattle, Portland, San Francisco etc., Add a brown bin to the blue, green, red and yellow ones. Fines for non-compliance and/or under weight containers. \s

[FlingWingFlyer]

If this works out, we’re in luck. We’ve got a pile of Kenyan human waste piled up at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[cripplecreek]

Now you’re cookin with crap.

[SpinnerWebb]

Thunder Dome!

[Cincinatus]

Embu prison in Kenya has turned to human excrement to generate power.

That's nothing -- we did that 3 1/2 years ago, when we elected a piece of it President of the UNited States.

[bgill]

The excrement coming out of D.C. these days is generating a lot of anger from the citizens.

[brivette]

sounds like a potty process.

[Lucky9teen]

Using this method, we could power the whole US, with all the excrement coming out of DC.

[cripplecreek]

Nancy and Teddy in the good old days.

[count-your-change]

This has been elsewhere for many years. The U.S. could turn its waste into fuel in a similar manner and in some places is doing so.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It might just work as it is pretty crappy down there!

[cripplecreek]

Its probably a pretty cost effective solution for a place like Kenya.

[ari-freedom]

Fines for non-compliance and/or under weight containers. \s

You mean a tax. :P

[Myrddin]

How much $#|+ does it take to power a 737 from Los Angeles to Washington, DC? I submit that this is a total waste of time and motion. Another asinine "green" project.

[Tupelo]

“Kenya: Is [human] Waste Power the Future?”

Human waste is the power of the present in the USSA

[Ole Okie]

This has been elsewhere for many years.

Yeah, since at least 1950.

[righttackle44]

The REAL current affairs issue is that Kenyan human waste holds the title of President of the United States of America.

[hinckley buzzard]

I am fairly certain that sewage treatment plants in the US capture methane gas for energy use and have been for some time.

[cuban leaf]

—Fines for non-compliance...—

It’s not a fine. It’s a tax. ;-)

[raccoonnookkeeper]

Seems to me this could be done at the sewage processing plant.