Life Nimbus
The European Project Life Nimbus produced Biomethane from sewage muds to supply buses
Researchers at Veolia, a company responsible for the water distribution in Barcelona, worked on the recovery of sewage muds to produce biomethane, a sustainable fuel that emits 80% CO2 than natural gas. And nothing is as renewable as human waste…
Odorless, silent, sustainable. On the last day of July, passengers entered the Barcelona V3 bus line without knowing where the fuel came from.
Written in large letters on the bus façade, just below the name “Nimbus”, a plate clearly said: “This bus works with biomethane produced from Ecophabic lamps“.
Still, the explanation was probably overwritten so that most would understand their complete meaning: the human waste more than 1.5 million residents of the Catalan city.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea. We already enjoyed the animal waste, so why not ours? ” Rosa Maria Gaya 68 -year -old reformed, when they explained the bus fuel system, quoted by.
“I had never heard of this before – it’s a great idea. If our Excrement is for somethingeven better! ”He added to laugh the receptionist Leire Muños32 years old.
“I thought it was an electric bus; as long as it is renewable energy and not smell bad, I think it’s great, ”note Alessandra Spano18 -year -old computer student, with wide eyes and smiling.
For five years, researchers from the city’s water distribution company (Veolo) have worked in partnership with the Barcelona Public Transport Company (TMB) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona to feed public transport with Biomethane from human lames.
The rehearsal did not produce any odor Unpleasant and issued much less emissions than traditional fuel, tells the.
Researchers used the treatment plant, one of the largest industrial water purification facilities in Europe, to develop a renewable fuel that issues 80 % less carbon dioxide than natural gas.
The installation is designed to process about 400 000 m3 of wastewater per day, being 95 % of “regenerate” water and reused in agricultural and urban irrigation, groundwater recharge and other applications. It can even be used to produce drinking water during extreme droughts.
The solid part of human waste is usually transformed into dry material for agricultural use, with the central generating about 250 tons of this substance every day.
However, Barcelona’s project – known as “” – converted 4 m3 of lames per hour in dozens of pounds of biomethaneenough to feed the V3 line daily for 100 kilometers.
Biomethane is a renewable fuel obtained by refining biogas until it reaches a minimum concentration of 90% methane.
When removing the co2 and other impurities, the gas obtained becomes pure enough to be injected directly into the distribution networks or used in vehicles with natural gas engines. According to the Spanish researchers, Biogas from sewage lames contains about 65% methane and 35% carbon dioxide.
Veolo’s process to produce biomethane, however, is not just the separation of the two gases.
The investigators combine co2 hydrogen – from the season of the season and renewable sources – to transform all biogas “almost” into biomethane.
The fuel no longer releases carbon dioxide than the one who stores, although small amounts of nitrogen oxides and thin particles are still formed. Still, the Biomethane used in the V3 line fulfills the Euro VI standards of emissions imposed by the European Union.
The Nimbus project aims to respond to transport needs in the peripheral zones of Barcelona, where electric buses are not yet effective due to lower passenger capacity and limited autonomy.
After five years of successful operation, Nimbus’s experience will now “feed” a new project called.
The goal is for these pilot projects to grow until they become industrial initiatives on a large scale for public transportation based on truly renewable sources.
E Nothing is as renewable as human waste.