Thaindian News

August 8, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): Herbie is passé now. The new rage on the streets of Bristol is the poo-powered Volkswagen. This car is entirely powered by methane and can be one of the most successful models using sustainable fuel.

Nicknamed the Bio-Bug, this car has been developed by Mohammed Saddiq. It is said to give an impressive 10,000 miles from the wastes accumulated from 70 average households of England. The Engineers of Wessex Water reported.

Saddiq reportedly said that the methane gas will not stink any more than a normal form of fuel. Nor will it get to affect the running of a vehicle. GENeco which is a division of Wessex Water has now set up a specialized cleaning plant at Avon Mouth. This plant will help to produce methane gas by means of sewerage treatment.

Methane gas has been used to produce electricity for years now, so the idea does not really seem to be too fantastic. However, the poo-powered car may not be too practical a solution as it takes 70 homes to provide fuel for one car only. What about mass production? There is no satisfactory answer yet.

Methane is not a very eco-friendly fuel either. It is responsible for increasing the green house effect too. It is in fact, even deadlier than the Carbon dioxide as far as the environment is concerned.

A number of plants do produce the methane gas as well. It is often found in the plants which grow in wet lands and swampy areas. The swamp gas which is often mistaken for UFO’s can actually be a good source for the gas.

The Bio-Bug or the poo-powered car does not really have to depend on human wastage alone. Huge quantities can be derived from other animal and plant sources as well.

Saddiq explained that choosing the Classic Volkswagen Beetle Bug was the idea of the students who participated in the workshop. They deemed it appropriate to use the Beetle Bug as the sewerage wastes are broken down by the action of specific bugs.