Thames water in London UK is hoping to use excess heat from sewage treatment plants to provide the warmth needed for 2000 homes in Kingston-upon-Thames.
What normally happens, is that once the water has been fully treated, it is returned to the river. The problem with this, is that the water is at a higher temperature than the river, and this is not good for its ecosystem.
It is thought that up to 7GW hours of heat energy could be supplied to the houses in question – all low carbon. While this is the first UK project of its kind, there is hope that it could be replicated around the UK. This move alone could eliminate millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions from the uk each year.
In the past, houses have been provided with Methane from sewage plants allowing them to heat their homes, however this is carbon neutral.
