US Coast Guard cutter to undergo alternative fuel test

The US Navy has partnered with the US Coast Guard to examine the feasibility of using renewable diesel fuel in Coast Guard cutters as part of the Navy’s operational evaluation.

The Navy had provided the 50/50 blend of F-76 and hydro-processed renewable diesel (HRD-76) derived from algal oil for the US Coast Guard Cutter Henry Blake (WLM 563) to demonstrate the feasibility in Everett, Washington, US.

Henry Blake has been selected to use renewable diesel due to its cutter engines and the availability of HRD-76 at the cutter’s existing fuel supply depot.

NAVSEA’s Navy Fuels Engineering manager Richard Leung said: "The fuel provided was purchased by Defense Logistics Agency in 2010 for research, development and qualification testing, and had been staged in the area for our operational demonstrations last year in Self Defense Test Ship and USS Ford (FFG 54)."

In an effort to continue qualification of 50/50 F-76/HRD-76, the partnership is expected to provide additional information on how the fuel operates in various engines.

Apart from performing search and rescue missions, enforcing maritime law, protecting marine environment, the 175ft-long Cutter Henry Blake has been designed to support the waterways of the Puget Sound and San Juan Island area by maintaining navigational aids.

Coast Guard Office of Energy Management Fuel Section Chief Sam Alvord said: "Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) pipeline will increasingly contain biofuels as these fuels become commercially available and cost competitive with petroleum."

Capable of carrying a crew of 28, the cutter is scheduled to perform routine operations for several months while monitoring reliability and efficiency of the 50/50 HRD-76 fuel.