Underhyped Tech - Waste-Powered Energy

Published on: 31 Mar

Written By Frontier Tech Hub

This is a deep dive into one of our nine underhyped frontier technologies for development.
The full exploration will be released on April 23rd. Sign up to the launch event here.

Powering off-grid communities with sustainable biogas and electricity

What if waste could power a village? Through anaerobic digestion and microbial fuel cells, organic waste—including human and animal faeces—can be transformed into biogas for cooking and electricity for lighting. These decentralised systems offer more than just energy: they support cleaner sanitation, reduce pollution, and create new livelihood opportunities. In regions where power and sewage infrastructure are unreliable or non-existent, waste-powered energy brings multiple solutions together in one system.

  • This technology transforms organic waste, including human and animal faeces, into bioenergy through anaerobic digestion and microbial fuel cells (MFCs). By converting waste into biogas and electricity, it provides a renewable energy source while enhancing sanitation, reducing pollution, and supporting circular economies.

    Anaerobic digestion and MFCs enable communities to produce methane gas for cooking and heating, generate electricity for lighting, and implement sanitation solutions that minimise health risks. Unlike large-scale waste-to-energy plants, these decentralised systems can be deployed at household, village, or municipal levels, making them adaptable to off-grid and resource-limited regions.

    By integrating bio-waste processing with sanitation infrastructure, these systems reduce dependence on firewood and fossil fuels, prevent groundwater contamination, and create local employment opportunities in waste management and renewable energy production.

    • Off-Grid Energy Access: Provides sustainable electricity and biogas for cooking, lighting, and heating in remote areas.

    • Sanitation & Public Health: Safely processes human waste, reducing disease transmission in informal settlements and refugee camps.

    • Waste Management & Circular Economy: Converts organic by-products into useful resources, reducing landfill overflow and contamination.

    • Climate Mitigation: Reduces methane emissions from untreated waste while offering a renewable alternative to fossil fuels.

    • Agricultural Synergies: Generates biofertilisers that enhance soil health and crop yields, promoting regenerative farming.

  • The global sanitation and energy crises are often treated as separate issues, despite their interconnectedness. Millions lack access to clean sanitation and reliable electricity, while organic waste management remains inefficient. Converting human waste and organic by-products into bioenergy could simultaneously address energy shortages, waste pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. However, adoption is hindered by cultural taboos, infrastructure limitations, and policy neglect in many regions of the Global South.

    • Simultaneous Bioregeneration: The use of of feces for electricity also conditions people to contain feces better and therefore decreases public health risks.

    • Decentralised Energy Generation: Enables rural and off-grid communities to produce electricity and heat​.

    • Sanitation and Public Health Improvements: Reduces pathogen loads and prevents contamination of water sources​.

    • Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Captures methane that would otherwise contribute to climate change​.

    • Resource Recovery: Extracts valuable nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus for fertiliser production​.

    • Water-Energy Nexus: Potentially integrates with wastewater treatment to improve water recycling and irrigation efficiency.

    • High Maintenance Requirements: Infrastructure for biogas and MFCs need regular checks.

    • Variability in Waste Availability: Seasonal and regional fluctuations in organic waste input may impact energy output​.

    • Pathogen Risks: If not properly managed, untreated waste could introduce contaminants into the environment​.

    • Energy Conversion Losses: While improving, conversion rates from biomass to usable energy remain lower than direct solar or wind power.

    • Advancements in MFC Technology: New materials improving energy output and cost efficiency​.

    • IoT & AI for Smart Monitoring: Remote sensing and AI-powered analytics optimise waste-to-energy processes for maximum efficiency.

    • Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Models: Integration with local sanitation initiatives for sustainable waste management​.

    • Public-private Partnerships: Investment in waste-to-energy projects through collaboration between governments, NGOs, and private sector​.

    • Community-led Initiatives: Local ownership and operation models improving acceptance and sustainability​.

    • Modular & Scalable Designs: From household biodigesters to industrial-scale sewage-to-energy plants, adaptable solutions are emerging.

    • Infrastructure Gaps: Underdeveloped infrastructure hinders large-scale adoption.

    • Shortage of Skilled Labour: Operating and maintaining bioenergy systems require specialised training, often unavailable in target regions.

    • Cultural and Social Stigma: Resistance to using human waste for energy remains strong due to hygiene concerns and entrenched perceptions.

    • Weak Waste Collection & Processing Systems: Unreliable infrastructure in low-income areas limits access to consistent feedstock.

    • Scalability Challenges: Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and related technologies struggle with efficiency and large-scale implementation.

    • Grid Integration & Energy Distribution: Decentralised bioenergy systems require policy alignment and investment to connect with national grids.

    • Regulatory & Policy Barriers: Many countries lack clear policies or incentives for integrating bioenergy into national grids.

Curious examples: what’s already happening?

Case Study no. 1

Turning Human Waste into Electricity - Pilot

  • Millions of people worldwide lack access to safe sanitation and reliable electricity. In urban slums, refugee camps, and off-grid communities, inadequate lighting in toilet facilities poses serious safety risks, particularly for women and children. Conventional energy sources remain costly and unsustainable, and bioenergy solutions often struggle with efficiency and scalability.

  • An innovative microbial fuel cell (MFC) system that converts urine and other wastewater into electricity while also sanitising waste and producing fertiliser. Developed at the Bristol BioEnergy Centre (BBiC) at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), this technology has been tested at the Glastonbury Festival, and integrated into school toilets in Kenya and Uganda.

    ✔️ The system generates electricity from urine using microbial fuel cells, providing a renewable energy source for lighting and small electronic devices.

    ✔️ By channelling urine through a network of microbial fuel cells, the process simultaneously sanitises wastewater and reduces environmental contamination.

    ✔️ The modular and scalable design allows for easy integration into schools, refugee camps, and off-grid communities with limited infrastructure.

    ✔️ The process produces a natural fertiliser as a by-product, supporting local agriculture and promoting a circular economy.

    • Community engagement and awareness are fostered through high-profile demonstrations at events, encouraging public acceptance of sustainable sanitation technologies by generating enough electricity to power toilet block lighting and charge electronic devices for thousands of attendees.

    • At Brainhouse School in Nairobi, the system provides lighting for a 14-cubicle toilet block, improving nighttime safety and accessibility for students in a densely populated slum area.

    • In Seseme Girls’ School, Uganda, the technology has reduced the risk of male intrusions and allowed students to detect potential hazards like snakes and insects in unlit toilet areas.

    • The project has contributed to improved sanitation in off-grid communities, reducing reliance on unsafe and polluting energy sources while addressing public health concerns.

  • More information here.

    Image: The technology has reached the stage where it can be commercialised and taken out into the market. Credit: UWE Bristol

 

Case Study no. 2

Turning Zoo Waste into Renewable Energy: The ZooShare Biogas Project - Pilot

  • Zoos generate massive amounts of animal manure daily, posing a significant waste management challenge. At the same time, food waste from grocery stores and restaurants continues to pile up in landfills, contributing to methane emissions and climate change. Traditional waste disposal methods often result in environmental pollution, missed opportunities for energy recovery, and inefficient resource use.

  • ZooShare, a biogas facility located at the Toronto Zoo, transforms 3,000 tonnes of animal manure and 15,000 tonnes of food waste annually into renewable electricity, heat, and organic fertiliser. This process significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions while feeding 250 homes per year with clean energy.


    ✔️ The zoo regularly collects manure from over 5,000 animals and transports it to the ZooShare facility.

    ✔️ Food waste from grocery stores, restaurants, and event venues is mixed with the manure to optimise the anaerobic digestion process.

    ✔️ The organic material is stored in digestion tanks for 24 days, where bacteria break it down, producing biogas (a mixture of methane and other gases).

    ✔️ The generated methane is used to produce electricity, while the residual organic matter becomes nutrient-rich fertiliser for use in Rouge Park.

    ✔️ The facility is self-sustaining, using the heat produced from biogas combustion to maintain optimal digestion conditions.

    • The system generates enough electricity to power 250 homes per year, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner energy grid.

    • By diverting large volumes of organic waste from landfills, the project significantly lowers methane emissions and promotes a more sustainable waste management approach.

    • The Toronto Zoo benefits from reduced energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with its broader environmental and sustainability goals.

    • Waste is transformed into valuable resources, with biogas providing renewable energy and the remaining organic matter serving as nutrient-rich fertiliser.

    • Guided tours and educational initiatives showcase the potential of biogas and waste-to-energy technologies, raising public awareness about sustainable waste solutions.

  • More information here.

    Image: The zoo is using manure from its animals to generate electricity at a site called ZooShare. Credit: CBC

Other interesting cases

Sanergy (Kenya) - Product/Service
Converts human waste into biogas and organic fertilisers for sustainable agriculture​.

Optima KV (USA) - Pilot/Project
Uses anaerobic digesters to convert pig waste into pipeline-quality biogas​.

UNU-INWEH (Uganda) - Research
Research on biogas generation from human waste to provide power for rural communities​.

Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) - Prototype
Develops vacuum toilets that produce electricity and fertiliser from waste​.

BeeVi Toilet (South Korea) - Prototype
Generates biogas from human waste while rewarding users with cryptocurrency​​.

Stanford University (USA) - Research
Developed a microbial battery capable of extracting electricity from sewage​.

A Chinese Research Team (China) - Research
Studied electricity generation directly using human faeces wastewater for life support systems in space.

The power of zoo poo (UK) - Research
A biomass system provides heat to other buildings across the zoo and benefits animals and humans.

Permaculture - Fuels from waste (International) - Pilot/Project
Waste from fuel meets many permaculture principles including catching and storing energy, obtaining a yield, and producing no waste.

Future scenarios: what might happen in 2035?

As part of our exploration of these nine underhyped technologies, our partners at Pluriversa conducted a foresight exercise to consider possible futures and anticipate the challenges and opportunities within each technology. The exercise produced four scenarios for the year 2035, which you can read here, along with speculative use cases - with different potential outcomes - for each technology. Read on to explore potential future scenarios involving waste powered energy.

2035: Park Maintenance Network

Bioenergy systems that can use organic waste from septic tanks were initially used to produce electricity. However, the technology has advanced so much that now it can even be used to feed a large network of pipelines that distribute nitrogen and phosphorus-rich fertiliser to the parks of any city.

This has helped bring back life to communities where parks had been neglected or abandoned due to the large costs of maintaining them. With a rich source of nutrients, parks can now thrive at a reasonable cost, sometimes even hosting community gardens, and that is probably the reason why they’ve become a common gathering point for young and old people alike.

Although hesitant at the beginning due to the cultural stigmas involved around faeces, people are now happy that sewer wastes are being repurposed for a cause that everyone can enjoy.

2035: Given Intensive Cattle Farming

The cattle industry has reached a new peak of production. Thanks to the efficiency of waste-energy systems, farmers can now produce all the energy they need to run their farms from cows’ faeces. Additionally, they can produce their own fertiliser to enrich the soil which the cattle eat. Circularity at its best, only that with a negative impact on the environment.

This led to prices of meat dropping, which has in turn led people to eat more of it. This produced an increase in the amount of land dedicated to cattle grazing.

It is no surprise that this has resulted in a public health and environmental crisis. Cardiovascular diseases have increased considerably, and the average diet has become so poor in nutrients that vitamins and supplements have become a matter of life or death to many. At the same time, entire landscapes have been repurposed as being exclusive for cows.

Final thoughts

If you’re working in sanitation, energy access, public health, or regenerative agriculture, waste-powered energy could offer a smart, circular solution. The potential lies in connecting local infrastructure with community-driven innovation.

Some ideas to explore next:

  • Could biodigesters support clean cooking while improving sanitation in informal settlements?

  • Are there opportunities to pair decentralised energy with nutrient recycling for agriculture?

  • Might small-scale MFCs power health centres, schools, or communal spaces off-grid?

Turning waste into energy isn’t just about solving one problem—it’s about rethinking what waste is for.

This is a deep dive into one of our nine underhyped frontier technologies for development.
The full exploration will be released on April 23rd. Sign up to the launch event here.

Frontier Tech Hub

The Frontier Tech Hub works with UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff and global partners to understand the potential for innovative tech in the development context, and then test and scale their ideas.

https://www.frontiertechhub.org/
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