Terragon Environmental Technologies

Managing water, energy, and waste is a constant dilemma in the defense sector. Initiatives like Net Zero and Camp Sustain are coming to the fore to tackle this challenge as armed forces look to optimize their water and energy use while reducing their environmental footprint. Conventional waste management solutions for the military tend to focus on a zerolandfill strategy rather than zero waste, despite the latter being the most holistic approach. However, a prize-winning clean tech company is taking it upon itself to innovatively and sustainably tackle waste management for defense.

Terragon Environmental Technologies innovates sustainable solutions to develop zero-waste habitats, empowering communities to generate valuable resources from their byproducts. Leaning on its patented technologies, the company has developed two products—Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) and Wastewater Electrochemical Treatment Technology (WETT). These products help military and security bases or compounds eliminate waste management as a problem while generating water and energy from the waste products. Traditional military waste management involves using fuel-powered incinerators that leave a visible signature on their surroundings.

MAGS, however, is virtually self-sustainable and uses waste as fuel. The platform’s gasification chamber converts waste into biochar and a gaseous fuel called synthesis gas. The synthesis gas produced heats the chamber, and the gaseous byproduct becomes the source fuel for MAGS. In doing so, MAGS becomes an optimal solution because of the broad spectrum of organic solid and liquid waste that can be processed with ease.

Given such capacities, MAGS’s waste treatment is an efficient platform for recovering energy resources in an environmentally sound manner by reducing visible signatures and operational risks compared to conventional incineration. To put this in perspective, 10 kilograms of waste per day per person can generate over 20 kilowatt-hours of thermal energy with MAGS, recovering 80 percent of the energy contained in the waste streams.

WETT—based on cutting-edge electrochemistry—provides local treatment and water reuse by eliminating the need for biological treatment, disposable filters and membranes, and chemical reagents.

WETT caters to disparate water types such as oily, grey, and sewage water, making it a comprehensive solution for purification. For instance, highly contaminated water is brought down to utility water status (lightly contaminated), which can be used for dayto- day purposes, like irrigation, washing, cleaning floors, or laundry. Subsequently, the purification process enables a robust ability to reduce potable water use, energy consumed in water transportation, and the environmental impact of the byproducts. Overall, WETT reduces water usage by up to 90 percent in deployed tents.

If desired, the WETT-produced sludge byproduct stream can also be treated in MAGS for thermal energy recovery after dewatering. No biosolids are formed, and the biochar produced by MAGS can be safely used as a soil conditioner or for safe landfill disposal.

“Terragon enables military habitats and buildings to use byproducts internally, with significant environmental benefits such as net greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and zero waste and wastewater generation. In this way, we achieve total resource utilization (TRU),” says Dr. Peter Tsantrizos, President and CEO of Terragon Environmental Technologies.

The compactness of these solutions makes them easy to transport and install in tight spaces. The technology has already broken ground in various military spaces where they cater to crucial military requirements like non-visible signatures. Besides military use, the technology can be applied to multiple sectors such as ship and sea platforms, remote habitats, industrial, medical, biohazard, and work camps.

Sustainability goals are taking center stage worldwide across the defense sector, with climate change posing a looming danger. As militaries strive to reduce their greenhouse emissions and environmental footprint, Terragon’s unique and sustainable solutions present a gamechanging platform to attain that goal.