Navy Announces Funding For Military Biofuels

On December 11, 2013, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Navy announced that as part of their joint "Farm-to-Fleet" initiative, the acquisition of biofuel blends will be included into regular Department of Defense domestic solicitations for jet engine and marine diesel fuels. The Navy will seek to purchase JP-5 and F-76 advanced drop-in biofuels blended from 10 to 50 percent with conventional fuels. Funds from USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation will assist the effort.

The Navy and USDA plan to hold an "Industry Day" to explain the effort on January 30, 2014. A copy of the USDA press release on the announcement is available online.

In 2011, DOE, USDA, and the Navy announced a joint $510 million effort to help promote the commercialization of domestic advanced drop-in biofuels for military and commercial use. The Navy and DOE have been challenged with securing their portion of the funding through the appropriations process. Several in Congress have criticized the cost of the biofuels compared to traditional sources of energy. Under the initiative announced this week, the Navy will expect that drop-in biofuels will be available for less than $4 per gallon by 2016, making them competitive with traditional sources of fuel.