What the world really needs is a new energy source - one that is renewable, non-polluting, and accessible to all. Maybe it’s just a pipe dream. Or perhaps we haven’t been looking in the right places. One Australian researcher has spent the last few years looking at the potential hidden in the waste products of the humble banana. Each year, Australia grows several hundred thousand tonnes of the yellow fruit.

While it may sound like a crazy idea, the horticultural organization Growcom has just turned the concept into an initial commercial venture. Banana stalks and waste bananas can be used to produce methane. Methane is a major part of natural gas and serves as an important energy source. To be optimally effective, pre-existing equipment and agricultural practices are being used in the pilot project. However, it is not an easy process without some modifications to the basic reactor.

Biogas can be generated from a variety of substances and can be successful on a small production scale. In places like Australia, with outlying agricultural areas, biogas can be a valuable energy source. Basic construction techniques will suffice for non-commercial facilities. Biogas does require storage under some pressure, and the slurry can be corrosive. But the positive aspects include use as transportation fuel and for electricity-generation - with appropriately converted generators.

Mulched banana material is placed into a digester. Oxygen, pH, and temperature are controlled carefully to ensure optimal conditions. After about two weeks, the organic source starts to give off biogas - carbon dioxide and methane - as it breaks down. The initial phase will monitor gas output and quality. If the gas is relatively clean and requires little additional processing, bananas may prove a viable methane source. The farm hosting the project will test the produced biogas in a converted diesel ute (or utility vehicle) and an on-site generator. If successful, Growcom plans to expand to more banana farms and other locations.

Methane not only offers an energy source, but along with carbon dioxide contributes to greenhouse gases. Any efforts to harness the natural products of organic decomposition will reduce harmful emissions to the atmosphere.