Thames Water has announced that two wastewater treatment sites are now converting sewage sludge into electricity in south west London. 

The UK‘s largest water company has converted two more of its sewage treatment works (STWs) into poo power plants by converting its sewage sludge into biomethane, which can then be used as a source of electricity.

The Hogsmill STW in Surrey is exporting enough electricity to power 900 homes, and the Beddington STW in Sutton is exporting enough to power 1,200 homes.

This comes following other successful biomethane conversion projects at the company’s Beckton and Maplelodge STWs.   

Thames Water have worked with UK Power Networks to upgrade electricity network capacity for the project.

Ian Ruffell, Head of Waste Water Treatment South London at Thames Water said: "We are thrilled to introduce poo power as a source of energy from two sites in south west London as we look to play a role in the future of renewable energy.  

"The successful use of biomethane conversion at Hogsmill and Beddington shows the dedication of our teams to delivering this project and our own commitment towards reducing our carbon footprint. 

Steve Carlow, major connections manager at UK Power Networks, said: “It was great to work with Thames Water on these projects and be part of their journey to Net Zero.

“We look forward to working with Thames Water on future projects to further assist their transition to a low carbon future.”  

This initiative is part of Thames Water’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions across its operations thereby reducing its contribution to the causes of climate change.