Biomethane: "Waste" Not, Want Not

Nowadays, there are a lot of things that you can run a vehicle on...aside from good old fashioned gasoline, that is. And for the most part, most of them are a heck of a lot better for the environment, as well.

For example you have Electricity, Ethanol, Propane, Hydrogen, and many more. All have their ups and downs when it comes to both their efficiency and their impact upon nature, but one new and intriguing contender has recently strolled into the ring, and it comes from the most unlikeliest of sources- poo.

Yes, poo. As in feces. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Biomethane, also known as Biogas.

Noted online directory and environmentally-conscious blog Yellow Pages Goes Green recently ran an article that caught my eye about Biomethane; a bizarre substance that I had never heard of before, except perhaps in the 1985 Mel Gibson film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, where a similar substance was used to power the village known as “Bartertown.”

According to the Yellow Pages Goes Green article, entitled The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round, Biomethane is derived from various organic waste sources to produce a surprisingly effective fuel source.

“[Biomethane] is a naturally occurring gas which is produced by the so-called aneorbic digestion of organic matter such as dead animal and plant material, manure, sewage, organic waste, etc,” they said. “It is chemically identical to natural gas which is stored deep in the ground and is also produced from deal animal and plant material. Natural gas is classified as fossil fuel, whereas biomethane is defined as a green source of energy. Since biomethane and natural gas are chemically identical, it can be used for the same applications which are electricity generation, water heating, space heating, cooking, and of course, to fuel vehicles.”

In fact, the Yellow Pages Goes Green article noted that that Biomethane has recently been applied to use in public transportation in Europe, referring to its first legit application as “the UK’s first poo-fueled bus.”

“On November 20th, the UK’s first ever bus, powered on human and food waste began operation on the road,” they said. “This fuel for public transport will cut emissions in polluted towns and cities. It will also set the example for all other nations to follow, with the common goal of having a healthier environment for all.”

Overall, I found this concept of such a fuel source, touted as being both “green” and in abundant supply (after all, what do humans do better than generate the type of waste that Biomethane production requires?), as vastly interesting. However, despite being in existence for several years, Biomethane has only recently been getting press and mainstream usage.I started doing some research to discover why this may or may not be the case; Biomethane.org shed some light onto the reasons.

“Biomethane offers great potential as an alternative source of energy, especially to fossil fuels,” they said. “Despite the fact that its usability is known for quite some time, production of biomethane started only in the recent years as a result of the rising prices of natural gas and high electricity prices of other fossil fuels as well as the threat of global climate change.”

Interesting. So, it seems that the benefits of Biomethane only fell into favor when other fuel stand-bys started falling by the wayside. But how widespread is its current usage – especially in the United States, where I live – and where does it stand to be in the near future? According to Westport.com, its foothold on American soil is slowly but steadily gaining.

“With an estimated resource potential of 4.8 trillion cubic feet in the United States alone, or 20% of total US natural gas consumption, RNG is a valuable complement to the diversity and security of the natural gas fuel supply,” they said. “Using the waste that comes into their landfill, the Altamont Landfill operated by Waste Management in Livermore, California, is able to produce 13,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas each day. That’s enough to fuel 400 of their refuse hauler trucks, powered by Cummins Westport ISL G engines, and eliminate 30 000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.”

The sources of Biomethane creation are many, Westport.com said; among them are:

• Landfill gas
• Solid waste
• Municipal waste water
• Agricultural manure
• Forestry waste
• Energy crops

But how can a fuel source made from what amounts to rotting mounds of organic waste be both good for both the environment and our bodies? Surely there must be some form of health hazard! But, in reality, this isn’t the case, according to Whole Energy; in fact, Biomethane may be the most “green” fuel yet devised by man, they said.

“There is no biofuel with lower carbon intensity than Biomethane according to the California Air Resources Board, and Biomethane is fully approved for use in the US for any application approved for use with fossil natural gas,” they said. “Biomethane is the cleanest burning renewable fuel available today in commercial quantities; it reduces the carbon intensity of transport more than any other fuel that is commercially available; and is the least expensive renewable fuel commercially available.”

Wow...so, Biomethane is the real deal, then. Of course, if widespread availability ever comes to pass in this country (and it likely will), you can’t just drive up to any old pump and fill up your tank; biofuel can only be used in a vehicle certified by the EPA to use natural gas. But other than that one bump in the road, the adoption of Biomethane – essentially the run-off from both our bodies and our consumerist culture – is a bright spot in the future of clean energy production and consumption, and one I’ll be keeping an eye on for sure.