Eat chocolate and save the planet!

Researchers have found that indulging a craving for chocolate could contribute to a new source of renewable energy.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK have found a way to extract hydrogen from confectionary waste. The process could have a major impact on the future handling of food waste and its potential as a supplier of renewable energy.

Hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels available as it produces no carbon dioxide, when it is used to power a fuel cell the only by-product is water.

E. coli bacteria has been identified by the researchers from the school of biosciences as having the right sugar-consuming and hydrogen-generating properties for the process.

The technique involves setting up a fermenter containing the bacteria along with the caramel-like waste product and a gas such as nitrogen. Under these conditions the E. coli ferments the sugars, generating a range of organic acids. To alleviate this toxicity in
their environment they convert formic acid to hydrogen.

The hydrogen generates clean electricity via a fuel cell. The potential is wide ranging, food factories could use their own product waste to generate energy for the manufacturing process. They might even be able to fuel their own vehicles from the hydrogen generated in this way.

It’s a technology that could be adapted for use with most forms of food waste, making it internationally applicable.

So we can all feel good about eating that extra chocolate bar – we might just be saving the planet.