In Mulhouse, buses run on wastewater

In Mulhouse, 22 urban buses have been running on biogas since last spring. This fuel is in a way produced by the inhabitants, it is in fact obtained from their waste. Wastewater is therefore reused and transformed into energy.

Often people are laughing to death when we tell them that we drive around with their garbage. But when explained to them what compressed natural gas is, they are happy to participate in the carbon footprint.

Christian Horter

Driver “Solea” – Mulhouse

Here, all the wastewater of the 280,000 inhabitants is transformed in a treatment plant. They are treated biologically. The sludge is then sent to the anaerobic digestion unit. This fermentation process transforms organic matter into gas in about twenty days.

This sludge is concentrated in this basin and will then be sent to the anaerobic digestion unit.

Christophe Reiss Head of studies and works SIVOM Mulhouse

The recovery of wastewater has only advantages. It avoids the incineration of this non-exhaustible resource compared to fossil fuels as explained by the president of the waste union. .

One day or another, fossil fuels will come to a halt. We will always have sludge, because there will always be this need to clean up the dirty water that we reject.

Francis Hillmeyer President SIVOM Mulhouse

Compared to diesel, these biogas buses would emit 75% less greenhouse gases. The only downside: the cost. Biogas buses would be 30% more expensive to buy than a diesel bus.