Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) funding has enabled Wastewater Fuels to develop a solution able to harness hydrogen from wastewater.
Setting the scene, DASA explained how 2-3% of National Grid energy is devoted to treating wastewater, requiring 9,000 treatment sites across the country. If there was a way to treat wastewater and use it as a fuel source all at once, then it could be transformative, leading to wastewater treatment actually producing more energy than it consumes, which is something Wastewater Fuels has sought to explore.
Using environmentally friendly practices and circular economic systems, Wastewater Fuels has been able to capture hydrogen energy through its Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC). MEC submerges a number of stainless steel mesh rods in wastewater. This wastewater is then treated by microbes that consume organic wastewater matter. This consumed matter then turns into hydrogen ions, which become hydrogen gas and are stored within the rod.
As well as backing net zero commitments, the innovation backs the Ministry of Defence’s ambition to bring in more circular economy principles to its defence operations. The setup demanded by the MEC needs less space, maintenance and equipment than current treatment assets, while the MEC itself involves no moving parts, reduced component replacement and easier maintenance, meaning it is ideal for locations where urgent water treatment is needed. This includes austere and frontline environments, or areas where circular energy is essential too.
Wastewater Fuels has linked up with Severn Trent Water to trial the treatment assets, making the most of access to different sections of Severn Trent Water’s wastewater treatment facilities. It was noted though that initial tests have already shown Wastewater Fuels’ MEC wastewater plant to be self-powering with substantial hydrogen generation capability for compression, storage and distribution, as well as for generating electricity by feeding hydrogen into fuel cells.
