Cirque Energy Inc. and Northrop Grumman Corp. have agreed to jointly develop a waste-to-energy prototype unit.

The Detroit-based Cirque Energy and the Falls Church, Va.-based Northrop Grumman reached the joint development agreement for a deployable gasification unit (DGU), the companies said in a news release.

Northrop Grumman and Cirque Energy, previously working as a subcontractor, created the conceptual DGU for Northrop Grumman.

The DGU can convert waste generated at military installations, natural disaster locations, or commercial or industrial sites into electricity and recoverable heat. The units use low temperature, starved air gasification technology along with conventional reciprocating engine technology.

Under the agreement, Cirque Energy will manage the development, manufacturing and testing of the initial demonstration DGU, with input from Northrop Grumman. After successful demonstration, Northrop Grumman will manufacture DGUs for sale by Northrop Grumman and Cirque Energy.

The companies expect the unit to be completed during 2014.