Business
Flushing Out New Ways to Save the Planet
Flushing Out New Ways to Save the Planet.
About this update from United Utilities Group Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n\n\n\nMANCHESTER, England, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Two young research scientists\nare at the cutting edge of experimental\ntechnologies which could help save the planet. The work of North West-based\nIan Carline and Ruyi Hu has the potential to cut thousands of tons of carbon\nemissions and save GBP millions.\n\n\n\n But details of the research projects the two are involved with can be a\ndinner party conversation stopper....the focus of their work is the billion\nlitres of wastewater generated by the region each year.\n\n\n\n The two scientists are part of the Research and Development team of the\nregion's water and wastewater giant, United Utilities. In-depth details of\nIan's and Ruyi's research may not be for the more squeamish, but both\nprojects offer the possibility of major environmental benefits and could help\ncut water bills.\n\n\n\n Ian is involved in a new way of eliminating harmful micro-organisms from\nsewage sludge, potentially reducing energy consumption over today's methods\nby up to 75% and eliminating 2,000t of C02 emissions each year. Although\ncurrently only a laboratory demonstration, the Carbon Trust has been\nimpressed enough with the possibilities of the technology to provide a grant\nof GBP109k to further its development.\n\n\n\n Ruyi is working at making big reductions in the amount of chemicals used\nin sewage treatment. His innovative method has the additional benefit of\nproducing methane gas which could be converted to electricity to help run\nUnited Utilities' plants.\n\n\n\n Each year, UU dedicates around GBP1.5m to research and development\nprojects looking at the impacts of climate change...\n\n\n\n \"We have high hopes of each of the projects Ruyi and Ian are involved\nwith, but although exciting progress is being made, it could be years before\neither of these experimental technologies could realistically be ready to be\nintroduced into our operation,\" said Chris Matthews, Head of Environment and\nSustainability.\n\n\n\n \"Even so, Research and Development is taken very seriously here - it will\nhave a crucial role to play in our bid to beat climate change.\"\n\n\n\n Ruyi, aged 24, who currently lives in Chester gained a degree in\npharmaceutical engineering in his native China, then a Masters in the same\nsubject at Loughborough University before joining United Utilities in 2007.\nIa...