Navy News - Cheap Biofuels Around The Corner

This past week, a next big step was taken towards bringing cost- competitive aviation biofuels from a vision to reality. There was a White House press announcement, Department of Defense postings (also pasted below), Navy news release, other news reports, and a

The next era of naval innovation

knowledgeable industry blog posting. The latter gives a great chronology of events that have led up to this point. The video news announcement is found here on the White House Website, at 31 minutes into the recording. This is a continuing story of purpose that has had a consistent ring: it began in 2010 with a commitment to  develop advanced biofuels, with a modest plan for how to get there with Growing America's Fuel report. There were follow-up announcements that provided a pathway, including the research and programs that were needed to create the feedstocks that would be turned into those fuels - eventually at a price of $3.45 per gallon which is where things are now. There is nothing like being a little part of what turns into something big (1). From sail, to coal, to oil, to nuclear, and now biofuels - the Navy has led the way with power through innovation.

Navy Joins Energy, Agriculture Departments in Biofuel Effort

Ray Mabus speaks with Tom Vilsack

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2014 – As part of a 2011 presidential directive, the Departments of Navy, Energy, and Agriculture announced today that three companies have been awarded contracts to construct and commission biorefineries capable of producing “drop-in” biofuels to meet the transportation needs of the military and private sector.

“The contracts being announced today will help expand the operational capability of our Navy and Marine Corps around the world,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said. “In today’s complex fiscal environment, we are balancing our mission with our resources and we must be innovative and forward-thinking. Programs like these help keep our operational capabilities on the cutting edge. This is how sailors and Marines defend our great nation.”

Quality Surveillance Fuel Shop

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that any time the U.S. military can use more American-grown fuels instead of relying on foreign sources, it makes the armed forces more energy secure. “And the expansion of our advanced biofuel sector means the creation of good jobs across the country, especially in many of our rural communities," he added.

A reliable, cost-effective alternative

Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman said advanced biomass-based transportation fuels have the potential to provide a reliable and cost-effective alternative to traditional fuel sources. “By advancing technologies that reduce our carbon emissions,” he explained, “this multi-agency partnership is demonstrating that by protecting our energy and environmental security, we will enhance our national security as well.”

Navy F/A-18 "Green Hornet"

In total, these projects will produce more than 100 million gallons of military grade fuel beginning in 2016 and 2017 at a price competitive with their petroleum counterparts, officials said. The drop-in alternative fuels can be blended at a 50/50 ratio with traditional fossil fuels. This blend was successfully demonstrated for ships and planes during the 2012 Rim of the Pacific exercise (2), showing that this fuel can be used in the Navy’s warfighting platforms with no degradation to performance or mission.

As these fuels become more available, officials said, the Navy will make advanced drop-in biofuel a regular part of its bulk fuel procurement.
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(1) The three agency partners are working together under the authority of the Defense Production Act. A good report on this prepared by the Congressional Research Office is found here.
(2) A very good article of the issues that were being debated around the time of RIMPAC 2012 is found in Mother Jones. It is easy to find the arguments against the Navy's pursuit of alternative energy, including advanced aviation and diesel - this article sums it all up.

Teddy Roosevelt Would Say Bully - Again

Theodore Rossevelt

A good editorial penned by Secretary of Navy Ray Mabus appeared in the Boston Globe on June 30th making the case for the Navy's need for alternative fuels. Mabus appeared earlier in the year on The Colbert Report during Fleet Week in New York City - he handled the interview well with good facts and a little humor.

There is still disagreement about the need for Navy use of biofuels, but the facts point for the need:

Each $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil results in a $30 million bill for the Navy and Marine Corps. In 2011 and 2012 price fluctuations added an unplanned $3 billion to the Department of Defense’s fuel expenses. The potential bills from that “security premium” can mean that we will have fewer resources for maintaining and training our military.

Three Pinocchios

I think a good topics course for graduate students would be to do critical analyses of opinion pieces on merits and demerits of biofuels, and then publish their findings using a Fact Checker format as often published in the Washington Post newspaper, and give ratings as to how well the "facts" are presented.

The reality of a realized vision for a time when biofuels are priced competitively with petroleum fuels will soon be at hand. Teddy Roosevelt would say Bully - another innovation for the Navy.