Fuel of the future

United Utilities has teamed up with National Grid to convert a by-product of the wastewater treatment process into gas for injection into the local gas pipeline network.

The £4.3m initiative, which is expected to be operational by early 2011, will be based at the Davyhulme wastewater plant in Manchester and has been given funding by Defra through its Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Caroline Ashton, biofuels manager at United Utilities, said: ‘The team is thrilled to have won this funding, which will give the project a huge boost. It has been in development for some time, but now we can put our plans into action and the people of Manchester will soon be using “poo power” to heat their homes.’

The plans involve installing the upgrade equipment, a gas compression and fuelling station and a pipeline to link into the local gas distribution network. In addition, United Utilities intends to use the converted gas to fuel a fleet of sludge tankers.