Dr. Hettiaratchi and the City of Calgary are conducting a full-scale
pilot project of the biocell. It covers one hectare and is processing
about 55,000 tonnes of waste, producing about 300 kilowatts of power,
over the next five years.
“What works in Calgary may not work in
Indonesia,” he observes. “But every country has a problem with garbage
and the idea of the biocell is worth pursuing.” He cites the amount of
moisture and the type of garbage as variables that need to be
considered when designing the biocell.
Dr. Hettiaratchi is
building an international biocell network to help advance the
technology for use in various climates and conditions.
“What to do
with all of our garbage is one of the world’s biggest problems,” he
says. “We hope our project in Calgary produces good results so we can
provide information to policy makers to make the decision to use the
biocell in integrated waste management systems. The biocell has the
potential to solve some of the world’s problems and benefit all of
society in several ways.”