Severn Trent teams up with researches in bid to develop means to extract green fuel from sewage

Severn Trent Water is collaborating with researchers from Coventry University and contractor, the Organics Group, to trial a method to turn ammonia from sewage waste into carbon-free fuel, hydrogen.

If trials are successful, the process would provide a more efficient method of processing ammonia and produce a clean fuel. Severn Trent has the potential to recover up to 10,000 tonnes of ammonia from its wastewater treatment plants, which could be converted into 450 tonnes of hydrogen.

The Organics Group will provide its technology for stripping ammonia from the sewage waste at Severn Trent’s plant. Coventry University researchers will seek to develop a viable means to split the ammonia into its component hydrogen and nitrogen components.

The project is part of the €15 Resilient Water Innovation for a Smart Economy (REWAISE) initiative. REWAISE is funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 programme, led by a consortium of 24 organisations providing expertise across the water management and academic sectors with the aim of developing a carbon-neutral water cycle.