Ingelia is a Spanish business that claims that by 2022, they will be diverting half a million tons of carbon from the atmosphere in a process that they have developed to turn sewage waste into something useful.

The company has developed a replacement for coal called biochar. The tiny pellets give off zero CO2 emissions and shockingly low levels of harmful substances such as nitrogen, sulphur, and chlorine.

Sewage is put under specific temperature and pressure conditions to dehydrate the organic matter. The liquid form of human waste is siphoned off so that 95 percent of the carbon in the waste is concentrated.

Not only does this process create a replacement for coal, but it is also a more sustainable solution for treating sewage. The standard process at waste treatment facilities takes roughly 30 days, while Ingelia’s process, called hydrothermal carbonization, only takes 6 to 8 hours.

The company says that because the waste is kept in a sealed container and the process is enclosed, there is no smell during the carbonization which is a huge positive.

Ingelia says that they are already in the process of negotiating with several Spanish waste facilities to implement their processes  in the future. Sewage plants in Italy, Spain, and the UK already use the process to treat thousands of tons of waste.

What do you think? I think this is an amazing accomplishment. Be sure to share this with your family and friends.