It would stagger most people that the military budget is almost 50% oil expenditures (268 Billion) to fuel what can be best described as a thirst for confrontation. So what do you do when you need fuel for guzzling jets, tanks, choppers, and operational crafts in what seems as increasing needs. The answer is GO GREEN. Thats what the Navy is trying by using bio fuels mixtures to fuel all those “man toys”.
An F/A 18 Hornet, which runs on biofuel, performs a touch and go drill during flight operations from the USS Nimitz during the RIMPAC Naval exercises off Hawaii July 18, 2012. REUTERS/Hugh Gentry (UNITED STATES - Tags: MILITARY ENERGY TRANSPORT)
While I think no one is delusional to the reason they are trying this approach. They need to make a $1.00 out of .15 cents. The so-called Great Green Fleet is a key element of a Pentagon initiative to use the buying power of the U.S. military – the world’s largest single oil consumer – to help foster a competitive biofuels industry.
“The Navy is pursuing cost-competitive alternative fuels and greater fuel efficiency because unpredictable and increasingly volatile oil prices could have a direct impact on readiness,” a Navy spokeswoman said. “That volatility resulted in more than $500 million additional fuel bill to the Navy in FY12.”
McCain and other opponents of the program have seized on the fact that the Navy paid more than $26 a gallon for the biofuels it purchased for this week’s Green Fleet demonstration, compared with less than $4 a gallon for convention fuel.
The Navy has noted that the 50-50 mix of biofuel and petroleum-based fuels, formulated as a “drop-in” blend requiring no modification to aircraft or ship engines, cost a combined $15 a gallon. Most of the biofuel half of the mixture, about 90 percent, was rendered from cooking oil waste. The other 10 percent was refined from algae.
Recently I read about a Marine personnel hub that would be a city on the seas. Lets be honest its hard to take all those troops and equipment to the other side of the world (every time) to go to war. The answer is clearly to set up shop in remote waters. While the idea to maintain large troop enclaves all over the world is a “slightly” agressive stance. No one would argue that a structure like this would greatly benefit from a green approach. Imagine 2 carriers parked next to each other covered with panels and turbines. It should suffice to power this marine village, and many green boats that are connected on board. With these green boats, being light, armored personnel carriers. It is hard to imagine the kind of oil that would be needed to power such a structure.
Ecocompass believe we will see more advances and technology advancements towards the military when it comes to renewable and alternative energy.