London - Two thousand years ago they were a place to wash, socialise and exchange gossip.
But the ancient Roman Baths in Bath may soon have one surprisingly modern use - providing fuel for our cars.
The algae growing on the site in Somerset could one day be used to generate renewable biofuel, according to scientists.
Researchers claim that biodiesel can be produced by extracting oil from the algae cell - and have identified seven different types growing in the Roman Baths.
Holly Smith-Baedorf, a PhD student who is working on the project at the University of Bath, said: “Algae are usually happiest growing at temperatures around 25C (77F) and that can limit the places in which it can be cultivated on a large scale.”
But the Roman Baths are kept permanently warm by rain falling in the Mendip Hills and running down through limestone to 14,000ft below ground, where thermal temperatures can reach nearly 100C (212F).
Pressure builds and pushes the water up through faults in the limestone, bringing approximately 250,000 gallons of heated water into the Roman Baths every day.
The research team is now growing samples of each of the seven types of algae found in the Roman Baths at different temperatures to identify which is the best for producing biofuel.
Project researcher Professor Rod Scott said: “The results of this study will help us identify whether there is a particular algae species among the seven identified in the Roman Baths that is well adapted to growing at higher temperatures and also suitable for producing sufficient amounts of biodiesel to make wide-scale production viable.
“There are a lot of variables that need to be right in order for the wide-scale production of biodiesel from algae to be viable, which is why it is important for us to classify and test as many species from the Roman Baths as possible.” - Daily Mail