Marines Test Waste Gasification System for Front Lines

Date: November 15, 2011

Source: News Room

According to a recent article in ScienceDaily, Marines at Camp Smith, Hawaii, in partnership with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), are testing a small-scale waste gasification system that can reduce a 50 gallon container of garbage into a pint of inert ash. The so-called Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) system is currently undergoing evaluation by U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC) to address the waste disposal needs of its forward operating bases (FOBs). Developed under the Environmental Quality, Discovery and Invention program at ONR and in collaboration with the Canada's Department of National Defense, MAGS was designed to meet the need for a compact, solid-waste disposal system for both ships and shore facilities. "Decades ago, the idea of harvesting energy from trash was just a side show in the environmental movement," said Steve McElvany, the MAGS program officer at ONR. "Now, the technology is mature enough to where the Department of the Navy is seriously evaluating its practical and tactical benefits." The energy-efficient and clean-burning properties of MAGS make it attractive to expeditionary units. It meets the security needs of total destruction of the waste while producing only a small amount of emissions while meeting the environmental goal of having a small carbon footprint. Testing of MAGS will continue through March 2012.

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