Manure helps power new army barracks

LONDON (Reuters) - Bio-fuel pellets made from horse manure will help power the new barracks of the Royal Horse Artillery, the Ministry of Defense announced.

Recycled waste and bedding from the regiment's 111 horses will provide enough low-carbon energy to cover the heating and lighting requirements of the ceremonial unit's new base in Woolwich, southeast London .

The MoD said the eco-friendly move was in line with the government's sustainable development agenda and just one of several steps being taken to promote sustainability in the mounted regiment's future home.

"We are using the latest energy conservation techniques in our barracks," an MoD spokesman said Monday.

The King's Troop, an equestrian unit that performs ceremonial duties on state occasions, plan to move to their new headquarters in November 2011

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Steve Addison)