US Navy Working to Lower Ships’ Fuel Costs

CG-71, Persian Gulf(click to view full) If the rising cost of fuel is pushing you to change some of your transportation habits, you’re not alone. The US military started to focus on energy efficiency and alternate energy sources several years ago, as a response to the triple threat of future strategic supply concerns, rising costs that eat into service budgets, and the vulnerability of their fuel supply lines to IED land mines or mine-based interdiction at sea. In addition to moves like installing wind power at Guantanamo Bay, solar-generating parking lot shaders at NAB Coronado, etc., the US Navy has a pair of key energy conservation programs that are expected to save 1.14 million barrels of oil, and about $157 million, in FY 2008. The Navy’s Incentivized Energy Conservation (i-ENCON) program is a “best practices” effort that talks to the operators and shares successful approaches among the fleet. A ship’s fuel cosumption is not a fixed total, and can vary based on shape, conditions, speed, tonnage, and other variables. By changing internal procedures and running only required power plants or improving load distribution within the ship, and adjusting key variables like ship speed during missions, ships can make performance and […]