The U.S. Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) announced that it has approved Eco Waste Solutions to move forward with its Deployable Waste-to-Energy Convertor for Expeditionary Bases (SWECX) with Thermal Energy to Electrical Power System (TEEPS) project.

The project is in collaboration with companies Ethosgen and Rockwell Collins, which will assist Eco Waste Solutions with system engineering, design and hardware for the project.

"We've known for a long time that one of the major environmental challenges facing the Department of Defense is dealing with solid waste on expeditionary bases," said Jean Lucas, president of Eco Waste, in a statement. "Military installations often use open burn pits, which pose significant risks to the health of military troops, local populace and the environment. Our containerized waste systems can solve this problem, as they are easily deployable, operate in extreme climates and don't create airborne health hazards. The ESTCP project gives us an opportunity to take this further and demonstrate a practical approach to small-scale power generation from waste."

The project will help the Department of Defense address the issues of open burn pits and operational energy objectives while also maintaining the mobility and efficiency that an expeditionary base requires.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for the U.S. military to position itself on the cutting edge of waste-to-energy technology," said James Abrams, founder and president of EthosGen, in a statement. "Successful small-scale waste-to-energy simply hasn't been done like this before, and it could transform the way all expeditionary forces deal with waste."