Pentagon exploring waste-to-energy technology for development

The Army Corps of Engineers recently awarded Tennessee-based startup Enexor BioEnergy a contract on behalf of the Navy to convert the service’s waste into renewable energy, reports National Defense Magazine. 

The $125,000 contract was awarded in March and will focus on converting things like paper, plastic, food and other organic materials into clean power and thermal energy.

Enexor BioEnergy will use a conversion system called Bio-CHP. According to the company, the device is modular and can easily be transported by ship, truck and cargo plane for rapid deployment. It will be used for on-site material conversion, according to the company.

“Our system is small-scale, so it’s designed to be located where the waste is, which is very unique because usually, you have to take the material and move it to a central location. That’s expensive and dirty and has an environmental impact,” Lee Jestings, CEO of Enexor BioEnergy, told the magazine.

The energy will first be used to power Enexor’s manufacturing facility in Franklin, Tennessee. If the system is successful, it will be deployed for use at naval facilities. While the contract is primarily for the Navy, the system could also be used for the Army, Jestings told the magazine.

The company is currently testing 13 different waste conversion recipes that turn garbage into renewable energy, reports National Defense.