Turning beer into energy isn’t as complicated as you might think. The beer biodegrades under high temperatures in large digester tanks, using natural bacterial processes which release biogas. This biogas, in turn, generates electricity.

The Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant, west of Adelaide, is using beer that expired due to reduced sales in restaurants, pubs and clubs when South Australia first introduced coronavirus restrictions in March.

The wastewater plant has been re-purposing 150,000 litres of expired beer every week – enough to power 1,200 houses in total. As a result, the plant has seen renewable energy generation boosted to 654 megawatt hours in a single month.

SA Water senior manager of production and treatment Lisa Hannan said that the addition of the beer created a positive use of what would otherwise be a waste.

Source: ABC Australia

[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-31/expired-beer-powering-south-australian-wastewater-plant/12511042](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-31/expired-beer-powering-south-australian-wastewater-plant/12511042)