IG19123 - Microbial Electrochemical Technology Commercialisation (MET-C)

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are bio-electrochemical transducers that convert the energy locked in organic matter directly into electricity. Organic waste can take many forms, such as wastewater, urine or even landfill leachate and this technology can directly utilise any liquid organic waste (that is too wet to burn) for useful electricity generation, wastewater treatment and clean catholyte synthesis. This is the engine of our bioelectrochemical systems, we call Urine-tricity or Pee Power®, as a way of generating energy and repairing our damaged natural environment.
As a power generating technology, MFC based systems not only address the problem of sanitation by cleaning up urine or wastewater without power input, but also produce renewable energy at useful levels as a result of this process. Areas suffering from poor sanitation, commonly also experience limited or no access to grid electricity, a problem faced by >1 billion people worldwide and predominantly in these same geographic regions. From an environmental repair perspective, this is an existential challenge and therefore of global dimension. In electricity constrained or deprived contexts, power generated from cleaning wastewater and urine can be used for (i) lighting, which is implemented as a measure of safety for those using toilets at night, particularly for women and children in challenging environments e.g., refugee camps; (ii) charging mobile phones and (iii) other low power DC applications, depending on local requirements. Additionally, by-products from the MFC processing of the urine/wastewater can be employed as disinfectant or a directly usable fertilizer. The latter is synthesised as a nutrient-balanced by-product during the bioelectricity generation process and therefore of direct benefit to soil and agriculture.
Pee Power® can be considered as the first MFC pre-commercial prototype that has been developed for field use and focuses specifically on direct electricity generation from MFCs fed with human urine. This Innovators’ Grant will be used to develop for the first time the business plan for Pee Power® as a bioelectricity generator product (Southampton), with advanced energy harvesting, AI and telemetry optimisation (Sapienza and Lyon), new material development (Liberec), microbial formulations (Cyprus and Wroclaw) led by the University of Southampton, for enhanced manufacturing capability at scale and appropriate market sector deployment. Monitoring and evaluation (Turkey and Portugal), geographical fit (Croatia) microbial/bioremediation performance (Surrey, CNR) and toxicant removal will also form part of the long-term implementation strategy.