Jumbo poop helps French switch to green power in climate challenge

Paris

IN the elephant paddock at the Beauval Zoo, Limbo is doing his bit for France's ambitions in green energy.

The most prolific dung producer at the family-owned zoo in central France, the grey African elephant, as tall as a bus, churns out 100 kilogrammes of excrement a day. His manure provides fuel for a nearby biogas plant that keeps the zoo's gorillas and manatees warm, supplies power to the national grid and helps France cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

With France falling short on its renewable-energy targets, the government is pushing for more projects lik…