Farts to Fuel- New Methane Processing Plant in Brooklyn

Flatulence as fuel may sound like a joke, but it’s becoming a reality in Brooklyn. Already in the works, National Grid is building a gas processing facility in Greenpoint, set to open in 2012. The facility will capture the excess methane from the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which already treats 1.2 million cubic meters of raw sewage everyday. The escaping gas, which is a result of the purification process, has been a topic of complaint for years, causing foul smelling flares in the neighborhood. The new process will remove methane and carbon dioxide from the excess sewage gas, therefore eliminating the offensive fart smell. The odorless gas would then be added to National Grid’s gas distribution system. Sounds like a win/win to us!