There aren’t many companies whose names perfectly sum up what they do, but Shit2Power is one of these few. They are transforming the wastewater that ends up at small sewage plants into a local energy source or hydrogen. Globally, only 20% of wastewater is treated and recirculated, but as our population grows and droughts worsen amid climate change, we need the other 80% to be part of this cycle. The primary reason for this is cost: treating wastewater typically costs a lot, as it is incredibly energy-demanding. However, Shit2Power has proven that it doesn’t have to be, because sewage contains more than three times the amount of energy needed to process it. Although sewage sludge is not a particularly beautiful energy source, the Berlin start-up knows it as a valuable resource in the water treatment cycle. Produced as a toxic byproduct in the treatment process, sewage sludge can be broken down and converted into an energy-rich synthesis gas. Currently, 9,000 German sewage treatment plants not only waste sewage sludge, but actually pay 500 million euros per year to dispose of it. And with it, they throw away 460,000 MWh of green energy that could be used elsewhere. Shit2Power’s container solution is a win-win-win product for wastewater; saving money, generating climate-neutral energy, and removing the harmful wastewater sludge. Who knew that sewage could have so much potential!
What They Say: “SHIT2POWER turns wastewater treatment plants into power plants. Like that we can create decentralized systems and keep fresh water in the cycle.”
Founder/s: Dr. Fabian Habicht & Nina Heine
Based In: Berlin, Germany
Website: www.shit2power.de/en/vision-2/