DAVIS, Calif., Oct 24, 2006 -- UPI

 

U.S. scientists unveiled a new demonstration plant Tuesday, designed to produce energy from bacteria.

University of California-Davis Professor Ruihong Zhang's $1 million "biogas" plant that opened Tuesday is designed to process up to 10 tons of food waste daily, feeding tanks of microbes that, in turn, excrete hydrogen and methane, The Sacramento Bee reported. The gases are then used to generate electricity or fuel vehicles.

"This is a real commercial-size system," Zhang, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering, told the newspaper.

Zhang invented and patented the system after eight years of research in partnership with the Onsite Power Systems Inc.

The company funded $750,000 of the demonstration project, while Zhang contributed $250,000 from a $1 million research grant she received from the California Energy Commission.

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