Air Force to fly on synthetic fuel?

The government's biggest energy user is considering a cheaper, cleaner fuel to fire its jet engines.

from the December 28, 2007 edition

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The Air Force hopes to stimulate the private sector to embrace the move toward synthetic fuels, which will help private firms as much as it does the Air Force, says Mr. Anderson.

"We believe that we need domestic sources of aviation fuel to assure the American taxpayer long term that we can fight tonight and fight tomorrow," said Anderson during a recent roundtable for defense reporters. "And that requires that a domestic synthetic or alternative aviation fuel market grow in this country."

The reality that the US government, the largest net importer of foreign oil in 2006, can no longer rely so heavily on foreign oil has emerged as the price of oil climbs and instability in many countries increases.

At the same time, more demand for oil in places like China and India, has forced the US to look for other ways to fuel its own demand. Currently, about 58 percent of the nation's petroleum comes from foreign sources, and that is expected to jump to 68 percent by 2030, Air Force officials say.

In addition to being cheaper and ultimately more plentiful, synthetic fuel can also be greener, Air Force officials say. The fuel itself burns cleaner than regular JP-8 fuel, but the current process used to make the fuel produces nearly twice the amount of carbon.

The Air Force is requiring the plants that are being built to make the fuel to capture more of the carbon produced and reuse it, thus making the fuel ultimately greener, officials say.

The Air Force is taking "a leadership role" in the endeavor and working to ensure that the fuel can be used by Army, Navy, and Marine aircraft as well, according to Air Force officials.

Although the Air Force is the biggest user of energy in the US government, it only accounts for about 10 percent of the country's total demand for aviation fuel, a fact not lost on scientists working to develop the synthetic fuel for commercial aviation use. The Air Force is working with Boeing and Pratt & Whitney on the project. The C-17 was chosen for the transcontinental flight because its engines are similar to a Boeing 757 plane, commonly used by commercial airlines.

At least one member of Congress is on board.

"The Air Force alternative fuel program is as important to the nation as it is to the Air Force because it keeps focus on alternative fuels by the largest user of the fuel in the US government," said Rep. Jim Saxton (R) of New Jersey, who attended the event celebrating the landing of the C-17 in his state last week.

"We must continue to support the research ... to find cleaner, more environmentally friendly fuels that include both renewable and unconventional fuel," he added.

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