No abstract

This first-ever waste to energy (WTE) workshop gathered Army environmental and energy subject matter experts to explore WTE at the installation and forward operating level. Historically, the Army environmental community has focused on solid waste disposal and the energy community on energy efficiency and power delivery, with no orchestrated integration of the two. The Energy Branch of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory has been investigating WTE opportunities, and has found little Army analysis on WTE system providers' many claims. The goals of this workshop were to share information, spread visibility on current efforts, explore the potential of WTE technologies for military installations, and potentially launch working groups to further implementation of installation WTE technologies. The Army has many requirements, goals, and recommendations applicable to DoD installations, facilities, and energy. WTE technologies are being developed for deployed forces, and have been used somewhat at fixed installations. Studies have focused on the types, amounts, and "burdened" costs of battlefield wastes, but less so on installation waste streams. Workshop participants concluded that greater use or development of WTE technologies may help fixed installations meet requirements and goals, but data is lacking to adequately characterize the potential. DISCLAIMER:The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes. Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products. All product names and trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents. DESTROY THIS REPORT WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE ORIGINATOR.ERDC/CERL TR-08-11 iii Executive Summary Problem statementArmy and DoD fixed installations generate many waste streams, including biomass, municipal solid waste (MSW), construction and debris (C&D) waste, wastewater, etc. Managing these waste streams generally involves collection, transportation, processing, and ultimately reduction or disposal. Unit operations associated with ultimate disposal generally includes a re-use or recycling effort, followed by landfilling, incineration, or some other form of ultimate disposal. Often these waste streams possess an energy (Btu) content, and to the extent that they do, it may be possible and desirable to transform the energy to a form that will allow for the performance of work toward the ultimate state of disposal.Approaches to transforming or capturing the energy content of the waste include:1. Incineration or other thermal oxidation for energy release 2. Physical and/or chemical preprocessing followed by conversion into a solid fuel for storage and later use 3. Chemical conversion into a gaseous or liquid fuel to be used in a...

Army installations are essential for the development and sustainment of operational capabilities and readiness to serve and protect the nation and its interests. Installations are small cities with a full spectrum of facility types and utility requirements that use large amounts of energy. This paper describes the process and activities underway to establish operational requirements and investment policy for Army installation energy security. The military environment is described in which the installation mission requirements and the future investment policy are being crafted. Military mission must be mapped to power requirements such that mission readiness impacts are quantifiable for a multitude of power outage or power quality anomaly scenarios. The paper draws from real-time discussions that the author's organization sponsored December 2006 on Army Installation Energy Security & Independence to carry out the mission of Army installations. These insights are applicable to any campus-like entity.

The U.S. military conducts a full spectrum of contingency operations in which it provides humanitarian assistance, logistical support, peacekeeping stability functions, and reconstruction activities. It is becoming increasingly important to incorporate the concept of “sustainability” into these operations. Making contingency operations more sustainable will provide force multiplier aspects that increase operational efficiencies and reduce logistical burdens and costs. The military requires enormous energy resources to maintain its mission readiness, which contributes greatly to logistical burdens and costs. A wide range of sustainability considerations relate to the cross-functional use of energy in contingency operations, from the interface with a host nation’s infrastructure; temporary construction practices; fuel convoys; cascading material use; the handling and treatment of waste, water, and hazardous materials; logistics footprint, etc. This paper describes military issues that will affect deployed base mission requirements and future investment policies. It also describes the ongoing process to develop an Army vision for sustainable contingency operations. This vision will consider the integration of cross-functional energy uses and establish sustainable operational requirements and investment policies. These insights are also applicable to many international humanitarian situations.