Courtesy of U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy Launches “Great Green Fleet”
Today, the Navy launches the “Great Green Fleet” with a ceremony in San Diego, a major milestone towards a 2020 goal of having 50% of its energy supplied by alternative energy resources.
The Great Green Fleet will deploy ships with at least three or more energy conservation measures or alternative energy fuels. According to the Biofuels Digest, the biofuel blend that is currently being purchased from AltAir Fuels (a company that produces bio-jet fuel) costs $2.05 per gallon, compared to the average biodiesel price of $2.42. The biofuel blend in this case is 10% renewable fuel, made from waste fats. Though some ships will set sail with conventional diesel fuel in their tanks, they will refuel with the biofuel blend out at sea. “What’s impressive is that this isn’t some sort of demonstration,” said ASP’s Andrew Holland in Politico’s Morning Energy newsletter. “It’s now just a part of the standard supply chain.”
SAN DIEGO (Jan. 19, 2016) William P. Lawrence is part of the Great Green Fleet, an initiative optimizing energy use to increase optimal range, endurance and payload, turning energy into a force multiplier. U.S. Navy.
Even though the biofuels program has faced some political challenges, ASP CEO BGen Stephen Cheney insisted that the investments in biofuel programs will have a significant payoff. The increased energy independence will allow the U.S. Navy to accomplish its objectives overseas while lessening its dependence on foreign and unstable oil markets. Therefore, the Great Green Fleet has already pushed the United States into a future of renewable fuel, as well as protecting national security interests in regards to climate change and energy independence.
