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Yes. Researchers have produced measurable electricity from tomato pomace and defective tomatoes in laboratory microbial fuel cells and related electrochemical systems. That is a research-stage demonstration, not evidence that spoiled tomatoes can power a home or that a commercial tomato-waste power plant is operating.
How a microbial fuel cell turns tomato waste into electricity
Tomato waste contains organic compounds that microbes can break down. In a microbial fuel cell, microbial activity oxidizes this material and transfers electrons to an anode. The electrons travel through an external circuit to a cathode, producing an electrical current; reactions at the cathode complete the circuit. The 2015 tomato-pomace study describes this as direct conversion of chemical energy in organic matter to DC electricity through microbial catalytic activity. Fogg et al., Journal of Power Sources (2015).
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The electrical output depends on the feedstock and reactor conditions. Tomato waste is not a uniform fuel: pomace contains solids and redox-active compounds, while defective whole tomatoes include peel and seeds that can affect oxidation.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat the tomato-waste experiments found
Tomato pomace
A 2015 proof-of-concept study tested tomato pomace in microbial fuel cells. The pomace had an open-circuit potential similar to the study’s glucose control, but its polarization performance was weaker, with the difference growing as current density and time increased. The authors also examined impedance, particle characteristics, and redox-active compounds. These findings show why a voltage reading alone does not establish how well a waste feedstock can deliver usable power. Read the study abstract.
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Defective tomatoes
A 2016 study reported proof-of-concept electricity generation from culled tomatoes in microbial-electrochemical systems. The authors identified diffusible redox-active pigments naturally present in the tomatoes as contributors to oxidation, while peel and seeds impeded oxidation behavior. The result illustrates how different parts of the same waste stream can help or hinder reactor performance. Read the PubMed abstract.
Single-chamber MFC experiment
A 2023 study tested tomato waste in a small-scale, single-chamber microbial fuel cell and reported a maximum power density of 264.72 ± 3.54 mW/cm². This is the authors’ result for that bench experiment, not a household or commercial power estimate; power density from a reactor cannot by itself show how much electricity a practical installation would deliver. Rojas-Flores et al., Sustainability (2023).
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Not all tomato waste becomes electricity
Tomato plant residues such as stems and leaves are more fibrous and cellulosic than pomace or culled fruit. A 2018 study compared anaerobic digestion reactor configurations, including a bio-electrochemical reactor containing carbon fiber textile. It reported improved decomposition and methane fermentation. Methane can be used as an energy carrier, but this is not the same as producing electricity directly in a microbial fuel cell. Hirano and Matsumoto, Bioresource Technology (2018).
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A 2024 study examined mixed blackwater and agricultural wastes, including tomato waste, for bioelectricity and biohydrogen. Because multiple feedstocks were combined, its peak results cannot be attributed to tomato waste alone. Read the Heliyon article (2024).
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What the results mean for households and food processors
The cited tomato-specific electricity studies are proof-of-concept or small-scale experiments. They do not establish that a person can connect spoiled tomatoes to a home, or that a commercial facility can produce useful grid power from tomato waste. The studies do not provide a consistent comparison of net energy, life-cycle impacts, or cost across conversion routes.
Scale-up questions remain, including long-term reactor operation, pretreatment needs, electrode and reactor costs, and whether the energy output exceeds the energy and resources required to run the process. For processors, the results are relevant as research into waste valorization, but they are not a substitute for a site-specific assessment of the waste stream and available treatment options.
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How large is the tomato-waste resource?
The 2016 defective-tomato paper cites an estimate of 0.61 billion kg of defective tomatoes per year in the United States. Treat this as the paper’s cited figure, not a current independently verified national statistic. A separate annual U.S. tomato-pomace figure in the 2015 paper’s abstract appears inconsistent with that estimate and should not be treated as reliable without resolving its context and units.
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