Fuel-cell system produces electricity from wastewater

GE, NRG Energy and ConocoPhillips’ joint venture Energy Technology Ventures is providing capital to Emefcy, an Israeli company that has developed a microbial fuel cell-based system that can directly produce electricity from wastewater.

The process transforms wastewater treatment from an energy-intensive, cost-intensive and carbon-intensive process into an energy-generating, carbon-reducing process.

The primary initial applications for the system are for wastewater treatment in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Energy Technology Ventures was joined in the funding round for Emefcy by Pond Venture Partners, Plan B Ventures and Israel Cleantech Ventures. Financial details were not disclosed.

’We will use Energy Technology Ventures’ investment to continue development of our technology into full-scale commercial implementation by the end of this year,’ said Eytan Levy, chief executive of Emefcy.