The Green Hornet won the box office this weekend, but another “Green Hornet” is looking to win wars. Earth Day 2010 marked the first flight of the U.S. Navy’s biofuel-powered fighter jet, the ‘Green Hornet,’ and the successful showcase has opened the doors for heavy investment by the U.S. military in alternative fuel technologies. The F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighter is designed to run on a 50/50 biofuel blend, and the U.S. Navy has a grand vision of an entire ‘Great Green Fleet’ of jets, ships and land vehicles that will be fueled by alternative energy sources.
A surprising statistic that I learned at an algal biofuel networking event the other day is that roughly 10% of U.S. armed services casualties are a result of fuel supply chain security. Soldiers bear the responsibility to protect and ensure safe delivery of oil supplies, and as a result face enumerable dangers in conflict regions that link these fuel supply chains. The U.S. armed forces are taking note of the need to move away from foreign oil dependence and move toward energy independence, especially since the U.S. military is the single largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world.
Within the next 10 years, the U.S. Navy will transition its vehicles to use biofuel, flex-fuel, hybrid and electric vehicle technologies, with a goal to reduce fossil fuel consumption for their land, air and sea vehicles to 50% by 2020.
"The alternative fuels test program is a significant milestone in the certification and ultimate operational use of biofuels by the Navy and Marine Corps," said Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus. “It's important to emphasize the Navy's commitment to reducing dependence on foreign oil as well as safeguarding our environment. Our Navy, alongside industry, the other services and federal agency partners, will continue to be an early adopter of alternative energy sources."
President Obama is a strong supporter of this effort, stating, “Our military leaders recognize the security imperative of increasing the use of alternative fuels, decreasing energy use, reducing our reliance on imported oil, making ourselves more energy-efficient."
Companies reaping the benefits of the military’s newfound interest in alternative fuels include Sustainable Oils of Seattle and Bozeman, who landed a $2.7 million contract to provide 40,000 gallons of the camelina fuel used by the Green Hornet. Solazyme Inc. has also landed a contract to supply algae-derived biofuels to the U.S. Navy.
Source: U.S. Navy
A surprising statistic that I learned at an algal biofuel networking event the other day is that roughly 10% of U.S. armed services casualties are a result of fuel supply chain security. Soldiers bear the responsibility to protect and ensure safe delivery of oil supplies, and as a result face enumerable dangers in conflict regions that link these fuel supply chains. The U.S. armed forces are taking note of the need to move away from foreign oil dependence and move toward energy independence, especially since the U.S. military is the single largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world.
Within the next 10 years, the U.S. Navy will transition its vehicles to use biofuel, flex-fuel, hybrid and electric vehicle technologies, with a goal to reduce fossil fuel consumption for their land, air and sea vehicles to 50% by 2020.
"The alternative fuels test program is a significant milestone in the certification and ultimate operational use of biofuels by the Navy and Marine Corps," said Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus. “It's important to emphasize the Navy's commitment to reducing dependence on foreign oil as well as safeguarding our environment. Our Navy, alongside industry, the other services and federal agency partners, will continue to be an early adopter of alternative energy sources."
President Obama is a strong supporter of this effort, stating, “Our military leaders recognize the security imperative of increasing the use of alternative fuels, decreasing energy use, reducing our reliance on imported oil, making ourselves more energy-efficient."
Companies reaping the benefits of the military’s newfound interest in alternative fuels include Sustainable Oils of Seattle and Bozeman, who landed a $2.7 million contract to provide 40,000 gallons of the camelina fuel used by the Green Hornet. Solazyme Inc. has also landed a contract to supply algae-derived biofuels to the U.S. Navy.
Source: U.S. Navy
