A PORTISHEAD company has developed a pioneering new system to convert waste into energy, with the military being one of the first organisations to take it on.

Green technology specialist DPS Global has unveiled a commercially viable and environmentally sustainable alternative to incineration and landfill.

DPS, which is based in Serbert Road, says its new technology could substantially reduce the future carbon dioxide emissions and heating bills of commercial operations and industrial plants around the world.

The new system, known as pyrolysis, converts industrial, clinical or hazardous waste into heat energy, with only small amounts of ash generated as a by-product.

DPS Global managing director Neil Young said: “Incineration has always been the main alternative to landfill when dealing with hazardous and waste which is difficult to deal with.

“However, we believe there is now a real alternative through the wide-scale deployment of compact pyrolysis waste treatment systems, which will help the private and public sectors reduce and control their waste costs, as well as significantly contributing to their corporate social responsibility targets and obligations.”

The new low-emissions alternative treats the waste at source and recovers the energy for use on site.

Mr Young added: “It provides significant payback in terms of savings on energy and waste disposal costs at a time when both are rising.

“Our new pioneering technology is the first economically-viable small-scale unit to separate the carbon and hydrogen from the rest of the waste, extracting the fuel we need while leaving the pollutants in the ash from the process.

“The resulting ash is typically just five to 10 per cent of the original waste.”

The military has been one of the first customers of the new technology and has already ordered five units.