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US Army Turning Waste into Energy in Iraq

Written by Hank Green on 24/03/08

The US Army is shipping a couple of giant trash-powered generators to Iraq in order to, hopefully, decrease the amount of fuel that needs to be transported around the volatile region.

The generators separate food waste from solid waste like trash and plastic. The food is converted to ethanol in a bioreactor, while the solid waste is converted to low-grade methane and propane. The innovation here is the ability to convert all trash, not food or plastic or paper, but all of them combined in one unit to produce power. The device can eat about a ton of trash every day, while producing about 50 kilowatts of excess power.

I was a little surprised to hear how much trash was being generated by the Army, but it turns out that pretty much everything they eat and drink from is disposable. I suppose it's better to turn it into fuel than send it to some landfill in Iraq, but it makes me wonder whether this is the most intelligent way to do things.

Via SFGate and TreeHugger

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Sanitation/QOL
written by josh, March 24, 2008
The reason just about everything the military uses is disposable is because of sanitation. MREs have to be sealed to allow them to still be healthy. Also, you have to realize that AAFES is there to give troops access to Burger King, starbucks, etc. That means they have a lot of the same trash any city does.
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written by Ray, March 24, 2008
So... Why aren't we using these here at home? We certainly have plenty of trash, and a need for energy.
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Why not here?
written by Ray, March 24, 2008
So... Why aren't we using these here? We certainly have plenty of trash, and a need for power.
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Expense
written by josh, March 25, 2008
Trucking in fuel and other supplies costs more than money in warzones. These machines are expensive but due to the high cost of supplies, in both dollars and blood, it is more economical for the military to get some of its energy with these expensive generators.
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written by Caleb, March 25, 2008
The photo is actually a USAF -80 power cart. It is used to provide electricity to aircraft on the ground, in this case a C-17. It is powered by diesel or jet fuel. it is very inefficient. If we could only get the Air Force to power via ground receptacles.
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written by Virgil, March 26, 2008
Err, sorry, is this article trying to suggest that WAR is in any way whatsoever green? Try again idiots.
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written by josh, March 26, 2008
I hate to burst your bubble but many of our greatest discoveries, even green ones, have roots in conflict. It's basically because there's a need for it.

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