The story of Kaldi, the 9th-century Ethiopian goatherd who discovered the stimulating effect of coffee when he noticed how excited his goats became after eating the beans from a coffee plant, did not appear in writing until 1671 and is probably apocryphal.Scientists have whirled coffee waste into electricity for the first time, in research that could assist farmers and curb pollution in the developing world. The coffee industry produces a huge amount of liquid waste during the procedure of turning the fresh material of the tree, the coffee cherries, into the 9.5m tons of coffee the world generates each year. While coffee waste has been utilized as biofuel before, and compacted to be sold as “biologs” to be burned, the project is supposed to be the first to generate electricity from such waste.
How does coffee power works?
The project team at the university have developed a fuel cell that uses microbes to eat the waste matter in the contaminated water, which cleans out the pollutants, and in the process produces a small amount of electricity. While this isn’t going to generate a huge amount of power, so it won’t be something that can be harnessed as a renewable energy source, it can still be enough to help keep down costs for the farmers as well as being beneficial for the environment.
The fuel cells that the lab have developed are around the same size as a soft drink can, and cost in the region of £300-£500. However, they have also produced cheaper versions using ceramics and plastic bottles which only cost around £2 to make, so it doesn’t look like costs would prevent it from being practical for farmers. The fuel cells are not yet in production, however the team are awaiting responses from funding agencies with the hopes of building a prototype in the field in Columbia.
Importance of Coffee Power
In this fast-paced world where consumer culture affects our everyday lives, many of us should stop and assess a more sustainable lifestyle. We have all heard about the belief of composting coffee grounds. They are close to pH neutral with less acidity once your cup of java is made. The grounds are a big source of nitrogen for composting and help enhance soil structure, but it seems they can also be a productive source of energy.