Power through human waste

Building can reveal the GLA is in advanced talks with Thames Water on using sewage converted into biogas to supply electricity and heat to London's buildings.

Deputy mayor Nicky Gavron told Building: "We are working with Thames Water on taking their sewage, possibly combining it with commercial waste, and making a renewable gas through anaerobic digestion."

Gavron also revealed that the GLA was in talks with the government about how to roll this out on a larger scale. She said the GLA wanted to create a macro renewable gas infrastructure.

She said: "We are opening up talks with the government on how to do this to scale."

The human sewage would be treated in an industrial anearobic digester system and would come out as biogas. The gas can then be used to power electricity generators or provide heat.

Anerobic digestion is currently becoming an increasing popular method for generating energy. Earlier this year, Marks and Spencer’s chief executive Stuart Rose said his company was considering using anaerobic digestion of animal waste to power its Scottish stores.

Gavron added that this was a particularly eco-friendly form of producing energy. She said: "Once you start looking at waste as a resource, you realise that it this method is either a zero or low carbon way to produce energy."

The plan could only take place if the GLA was awarded Single Waste Authority status, Gavron said, which it is currently discussing with government.

She said: "If we were allowed to co-ordinate the disposal of waste we could stimulate supply and demand simultaneously for this form of energy supply."