It can carry 24 troops and can outrace a fleet of destroyers or the cutting-edge vessel nicknamed “the Navy’s corvette.” And it’s powered, in part, by algae.
The U.S. Navy has rolled out the first military vessel designed to run on eco-friendly fuel. And this “mean, green riverine machine” is only the start: Within five years, the Navy anticipates a 10-ship carrier strike group — a “Great Green Fleet” — that relies entirely on alternative energy.
On Friday, Navy brass showed off the ship — a 49 foot-long riverine command boat that attains speeds of 40-knots — during a demonstration at the Norfolk, Va. Naval Base. The ship burns a 50-50 blend of algae-based fuel and diesel, and “ran just fine” during the demo, according to Rear Adm. Philip Cullom, director of the Chief of Naval Operations Energy and Environmental Readiness Division.
“We did three high-power runs to attain peak speeds for specific periods of time,” Cullom tells reporters, estimating that the ship traveled around a mile during the event, and also performed a series of maneuvers in the water.
The trial run is only one part of a larger Navy initiative to put a major dent in their fuel consumption. Navy vessels use around 80,000 barrels of oil a day, and the department wants biofuels and nuclear energy to cut that amount in half by 2020. Earlier this year, the Navy launched their first eco-friendly F/A-18 Super Hornet jet, the “Green Hornet,” that runs on a mix of camelina-derived fuel and gasoline. Admiral Gary Roughead, the head of the Navy, recently announced plans to power undersea drones using “a long-endurance, safe power source” to further curb fossil fuel reliance.
The Navy’s got a head-start on other fuel-thirsty military departments, but they’re still figuring out how to make alternative fuels affordable. Last year, the Navy spent $424 per gallon to buy 20,055 gallons of algae-based biofuel — a world record price for fuel, the Marine Corps Times is reporting.
“Yes, these fuels are expensive,” Cullom says. “When you’re leading the way on something, it’s not gonna be $3 bucks a gallon.”
Cullom is confident that increased demand for eco-friendly fuels, largely spurred by massive military needs, will quickly curb costs. Already, the Navy is paying less than $100 for each gallon of the algae-based fuel that cost four times as much only a year ago.
But cost — and actually helping the environment — are less important to the Navy than a secure fuel source. Alternative energy would eliminate reliance on fossil fuels that are largely sourced from unstable regions, and whose increasing scarcity could lead to political turmoil. Not to mention that fuel is the military’s top import into combat areas, and convoys are often sitting ducks for attacks.
“Our program to ‘go green’ is about combat capability, first and foremost,” Cullom says. “Our energy program strengthens natural security, but it also strengthens national security — we’re not held hostage by any one source.”
The U.S. Navy has rolled out the first military vessel designed to run on eco-friendly fuel. And this “mean, green riverine machine” is only the start: Within five years, the Navy anticipates a 10-ship carrier strike group — a “Great Green Fleet” — that relies entirely on alternative energy.
On Friday, Navy brass showed off the ship — a 49 foot-long riverine command boat that attains speeds of 40-knots — during a demonstration at the Norfolk, Va. Naval Base. The ship burns a 50-50 blend of algae-based fuel and diesel, and “ran just fine” during the demo, according to Rear Adm. Philip Cullom, director of the Chief of Naval Operations Energy and Environmental Readiness Division.
“We did three high-power runs to attain peak speeds for specific periods of time,” Cullom tells reporters, estimating that the ship traveled around a mile during the event, and also performed a series of maneuvers in the water.
The trial run is only one part of a larger Navy initiative to put a major dent in their fuel consumption. Navy vessels use around 80,000 barrels of oil a day, and the department wants biofuels and nuclear energy to cut that amount in half by 2020. Earlier this year, the Navy launched their first eco-friendly F/A-18 Super Hornet jet, the “Green Hornet,” that runs on a mix of camelina-derived fuel and gasoline. Admiral Gary Roughead, the head of the Navy, recently announced plans to power undersea drones using “a long-endurance, safe power source” to further curb fossil fuel reliance.
The Navy’s got a head-start on other fuel-thirsty military departments, but they’re still figuring out how to make alternative fuels affordable. Last year, the Navy spent $424 per gallon to buy 20,055 gallons of algae-based biofuel — a world record price for fuel, the Marine Corps Times is reporting.
“Yes, these fuels are expensive,” Cullom says. “When you’re leading the way on something, it’s not gonna be $3 bucks a gallon.”
Cullom is confident that increased demand for eco-friendly fuels, largely spurred by massive military needs, will quickly curb costs. Already, the Navy is paying less than $100 for each gallon of the algae-based fuel that cost four times as much only a year ago.
But cost — and actually helping the environment — are less important to the Navy than a secure fuel source. Alternative energy would eliminate reliance on fossil fuels that are largely sourced from unstable regions, and whose increasing scarcity could lead to political turmoil. Not to mention that fuel is the military’s top import into combat areas, and convoys are often sitting ducks for attacks.
“Our program to ‘go green’ is about combat capability, first and foremost,” Cullom says. “Our energy program strengthens natural security, but it also strengthens national security — we’re not held hostage by any one source.”
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