South Korean Researchers Develop Method to Produce Biofuels from Human Waste

In South Korea, a brand new outdoor laboratory has been launched at UNIST and it is expected to convert human waste into renewable energy sources.

Situated in the center of UNIST campus, the Science Walden Pavilion is now open to the public. The pavilion houses two major research facilities: "Waterless Energy-producing Toilet System" and "Microbial Energy Production System".

The waterless toilet system, located on the first floor of the pavilion, treats human excrement without using water. The system uses a natural biological process to break down human waste into a dehydrated odorless compost-like material.

When the grinding system inside the toilet has converted the feces into a compost-like material, it will be transferred to the microbial energy production system. In a digestion tank containing thousands of different microbes, the compost-like material is degraded to generate carbon dioxide and methane.

Carbon dioxide is extracted to culture green algae for biofuel while methane is stored for later use as a heating fuel. If successful, the team plans to expand its use of the waterless toilet system and microbial energy production system in real life.