A prototype toilet that generates “everlasting” electricity from urine has been launched near a university bar.

    The scientists behind the “pee-power” toilet hope it can be used by aid agencies in disaster zones to supply much-needed electricity to refugee* camps. The technology uses microbial* fuel cell stacks* in the toilets, which feed on urine, creating biochemical energy that can be turned into electricity.

    The urinal* is the result of a partnership between researchers at the University of the West of England in Bristol and Oxfam.

    It is located near the students’ union at the university’s Frenchay campus and researchers will be hoping for brisk business at closing time. Students and staff are being asked to use the urinal to donate pee to fuel the microbial fuel cell stacks that generate electricity to power indoor lighting.

    Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory at UWE Bristol, said: “The microbial fuel cell is in effect a system which taps a portion of that biochemical energy used for microbial growth and converts that directly into electricity. This technology is about as green as it gets, as we do not need to utilize* fossil fuels and we are effectively using a waste product that will be in plentiful supply.”

    Ieropoulos added: “One microbial fuel cell costs about US$1.5 to make, and we think that a small unit like the demo we have mocked up for this experiment could cost as little as US$900 to set up, which is a significant bonus as this technology is in theory everlasting.”(SD-Agencies)