UK town has a pavement that can charge your phone when you walk on it
15 November 2022, 13:59 | Updated: 15 November 2022, 14:07
Telford and Wrekin Council has installed a pavement that generates electricity when pedestrians walk on it.
If you’ve ever found yourself running out of phone charge while in town, we have a solution for you.
A new pavement now turns footsteps into electricity, which means you can charge your mobile on the move.
The high-tech ‘bouncy’ path has been installed by Telford and Wrekin Council in Shropshire and is a six-metre stretch of smart paving between Telford Central train station and the town centre.
This generates energy whenever pedestrians walk or run on it and then powers charging points next to benches in Telford where people can plug in their phones.
The paving is made of rubber and stainless steel tiles containing an electro-magnetic generator, which can produce 2.1 watts of electricity per hour.
For anyone who is interested to see how much electricity they’re generating, a solar-powered screen also displays the amount of energy created by commuters’ footsteps.
It’s part of a £4 million project by the council to invest in more planet-friendly electricity sources.
After some criticism, Councillor Carolyn Healy has said the pavement is a ‘fun’ way to show how clean electricity can be generated.
“We appreciate there’s a lot going on in people’s lives right now, “ she said.
“But it would be a huge step backwards if climate action drops off the radar – that’s why awareness projects like this are so valuable.
“This pavement is a fun way to keep the climate conversation going and nudge people to consider how they can help make our borough become more sustainable.
“It’s also about letting people know what we’re doing as a council to fight climate change, which we hope will inspire them to make sustainable changes in their own lives.
“We hope this project reinforces their sense that their actions, quite literally, have the power to change the world.”
The pavement has been supplied by technology firm, Pavegen, with CEO and Founder Laurence Kemball-Cook saying: "Pavegen is committed to creating smarter cities that focus on people, as well as technology.
"This installation with Telford is a great step towards making a key UK transport hub smarter and greener, whilst educating and engaging citizens with Telford’s commitment to building a better planet.
“We have been developing this technology to allow it to withstand the harshest winters and are excited for the people of Telford to try out generating energy from themselves!”
This isn’t the first piece of technology of its kind as similar projects have been launched in big cities such as Hong Kong and Dubai.
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