Poo-powered bus takes to the streets in Britain

BATH, England, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- The sewage company behind Britain's first poo-powered Bio-Bus said the vehicle can run up to 186 miles on one tank of fuel from human and food waste.

GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water, said the fuel for the 40-seat Bio-Bus is produced at the Bristol sewage treatment works, where human waste and food unfit for consumption are put through a process to create biomethane.

Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, said the company is also producing biomethane for the country's natural gas network.

"Through treating sewage and food that's unfit for human consumption we're able to produce enough biomethane to provide a significant supply of gas to the national gas network that's capable of powering almost 8,500 homes as well as fueling the Bio-Bus." It takes the annual waste from about five people to create one tank of biomethane for the bus, officials said.

The Bath Bus Company is running the Bio-Bus on the 20-mile A4 route between Bath, England, and the airport in Bristol, England.