US zoo plans to use animal manure to generate energy

A US zoo is planning to turn piles of animal manure into energy.

Animals will contribute to energy generation. Image by Bristol Zoo / CC BY-SA 2.0

Detroit Zoo says construction on an anaerobic bio-digester begins this spring and will be completed before the end of the year. It will turn about 400 tonnes of manure a year as well as other organic waste into methane-rich gas, which will be used to help power the Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex, saving 70,000 to 80,000 US dollars in annual energy costs.

The system also will convert manure into compost that will be used to fertilise animal habitats, gardens and public spaces.

(Press Association)