Bio bus
Bio-Bus is the UK's first bus powered entirely by human faeces and food waste.
The bus, which entered service in south west England in 2014, is powered by biomethane. The gas is made from human sewage and food waste which is processed at a plant in Avonmouth run by GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water.[1][2][3] It has a Scania K270UB chassis and an Enviro200 body with 40 seats. A special registration was issued: YT13YUK.
The bus initially served a 15 miles (24 km) Bath Bus Company route between Bristol Airport and Bath.[2] The neighbouring city of Bristol was European Green Capital in 2015 and, in connection with this, the bus operated in Bristol on the First Bristol number 2 route. Now it runs for Reading Buses as BU52GAS. [4][5]
Similar buses have operated in Oslo.[6]
When compared with the diesel engines normally used to power buses, the Bio bus produces 20–30% less carbon dioxide, 80% fewer nitrogen oxides and is low in particulates.[6] One tank of the gas will power the bus for 300 kilometres (190 mi);[7] however, the bus has to refuel at the Bristol Sewage Treatment Works which is seven miles from the city centre, which means that the bus has to make a significant journey to refuel, making it less economic to run.[6][8][9]
References
- "The Bio-Bus". Geneco. Archived from the original on 21 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "UK's first 'poo bus' goes into service between Bristol and Bath". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "UK's first 'poo bus' hits the road". Guardian. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "UK's first 'poo bus' goes into regular service". Guardian. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "Bristol's 'Poo bus' prepares to make a splash". Bristol 2015 European Green Capital. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- Niranjan, Ajit (27 April 2015). "'It doesn't even smell': a ride on the Bristol bus powered by human poo". Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- Campbell, Jamie. "Britain's first 'Bio-Bus' running on human waste set to go into service". Independent. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "UK's first human poo bus to operate on Service 2 as part of First West of England's trial of gas technology". First. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- "Bristol 'poo bus' launched to boost urban air quality". Air Quality News. Retrieved 27 April 2015.