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Article Posted: 06/11/2007 7:42:00 AM
Synfuel Contract Awarded by Defense Department
The Defense Energy Support Center awarded a contract on June 6 for 315,000 gallons of synthetic jet fuel to Shell Oil Products of Houston, Texas to be delivered by tank truck from Houston to several Air Force locations and a NASA facility in the United States.
The estimated contract value is approximately $1.1 million and the period of delivery is Aug. 1-31, 2007.
This purchase supports the U.S. Air Force Synthetic Fuel Initiative, which is evaluating Fischer-Tropsch synthetic jet fuels for use in military aircraft. The F-T process converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel that can be substituted for conventional petroleum based fuels. These synthetic fuels can be produced from an assortment of feedstock that includes biomass, coal and natural gas.
The Air Force began its test program in September 2006 when it flew a B-52 with two of eight engines using an F-T fuel supplied by Syntroleum of Tulsa, Okla., mixed at a 50/50 ratio with military jet fuel. Additional testing included materials compatibility testing, which determines if any aircraft parts are affected by the use of F-T fuel, cold weather testing, additional engine testing and operation of ground equipment with F-T fuel. After two additional flights with two engines burning the synthetic fuel blend, a final B-52 flight with all eight engines was successfully conducted with all operational flight parameters and metrics being met.
"The acquisition of these 315,000 gallons of synthetic fuel this year is one more step toward meeting the Air Force goal of testing and certifying the entire fleet for use of the fuel by 2010. Additional acquisitions of synthetic fuel will be made for testing and certification over the next three years. The ultimate goal of the Air Force is to acquire 50 percent of its [Continental United States] fuel by 2016 from domestic sources producing a synthetic fuel-blend and using carbon capture and sequestration technology," said William C. Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment & Logistics.
As part of the approval process for the use of F-T synthetic fuels in aircraft, DESC, the U.S. Air Force and the other military departments participate on a commercial working group sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Transport Association, Aerospace Industry Association and Airports Council International.
Industry participants include airlines, airframe and engine manufacturers and fuel suppliers. This group has agreed to look at the use of F-T fuels for commercial airlines based on the study results of the DoD. The intention is to have several F-T fuels tested at different blend ratios with conventional jet fuel, and based upon the results in military equipment the airline industry could approve its use for commercial aircraft.
The Defense Energy Support Center provides the Department of Defense and other government agencies with comprehensive energy solutions in the most effective and economical manner possible. DESC is a Field Activity of the Defense Logistics Agency.
DLA provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the one source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations inside the Department of Defense.
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