Yorkshire Water is throwing open the doors to the world’s first ever poo-powered pub, in celebration of the company’s ambition to become net zero carbon by 2030.
In what will be the first time a public space has been powered by electricity made from poo, The Number Two Tavern is launching for a limited time in Leeds from 7th until 9th November.
The company is holding its first ever carbon week to spread the word and share knowledge about how we can all reduce our carbon footprint. This is where the poo pub comes in, as a space to start a conversation about climate change in the region and to celebrate the steps that the business, and its partners, are taking to become net zero carbon.
Designed as a traditional Yorkshire pub, The Number Two Tavern will serve water through a unique “pub style” water pump - and punters will be able to take pictures on the pub’s ‘throne’ – a prop toilet.
The power for The Number Two Tavern is coming from a ground-breaking process, called “anaerobic digestion”, which converts waste into biogas that can be used to generate heat and electricity. Yorkshire Water has charged a Hybrid Power battery with the poo-power, which is being created at Yorkshire Water’s Knostrop Recycling Centre. This means that everything requiring electricity in the pub, will be powered by recycled poo.
Yorkshire Water Director of Wastewater Service Delivery, Ben Roche, said: “We’re excited to be showcasing the future possibilities of renewable energy by opening the world’s first poo-powered pub in Leeds. The Number Two Tavern is a way of showcasing how we are recycling materials to generate low carbon and renewable energy through anaerobic digestion, helping to lower our carbon footprint and become more self-sufficient.
“Making sure we deliver high quality drinking water and return clean wastewater to the environment is an energy intensive job which results in substantial amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. This is why we are working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and deliver energy efficiencies, as part of our pledge to become net zero carbon by 2030.
“As a water company, we are at the forefront of responding to climate change as we see, every day, the impact of today’s variable and extreme weather on our environment. We know that more needs to be done to tackle climate change, and it is our hope that the opening of our poo pub this week will help spread this message, showcasing what could be possible as we move towards a lower carbon and more sustainable future.”
