Fuel & Energy

 

Crisis Management Operations (CMOs) are growing in complexity. Ranging from deploying armed forces for peace keeping to humanitarian aid, the scope has been widened further in latter decades to also include rebuilding society in a sustainable way. While CMOs rely almost entirely on fossil fuels to supply the necessary energy, the longer the duration and the more complex the CMO, the burden on the logistic supply chain increases dramatically. Due to the fossil fuel dependency, modern civil/military CMOs are not only susceptible to fluctuations in fuel prices but also burdened by the cost compelling fuel convoys. The convoys in turn introduce new risks to the operational effectiveness and the safety of personnel in theatre.

Well documented by the media, insurgents are increasingly targeting CMO supply convoys. The risks inherent in transporting fuel over long distances and the price paid for it in terms of lives of personnel have driven several countries around the world to take actions towards reducing the need for fossil fuels. As a result novel energy supply technologies have made their way into CMOs. These new technologies have thus proven that they are viable and reliable in the rugged conditions that CMOs can imply.

 

Reducing the dependency on fossil fuels is therefore a top priority and comes with the added bonus of having positive side effects. While it increases safety and survivability of troops as well as increasing the operational degrees of freedom, it also reduces the environmental impact, through-life costs and non-European dependencies.

The EDA Energy work strand, driven both by capability requirements and technological opportunities, thus also falls under the realm of EDA’s initiative on Environmental Responsibility. The aim of the Energy work strand is to identify how energy consumption can be reduced and energy efficiency can be increased – cornerstones in making an environmental difference. Technology has an important role to play. Introducing novel technologies such as renewable energy conversion, high density energy and power storage systems and alternative fuels, alongside conventional systems connected to a grid with embedded intelligence managed by sophisticated automated energy management systems – this is the future and one part of the solution. The other part of the solution, one that in many ways has an even bigger role to play, is awareness. Increasing awareness among personnel in and outside theatre is the first step in changing behavioural patterns, probably the biggest culprit with regard to energy consumption.

A through-life approach is the tool used to identify where actions need to be targeted, taking into account both the materiel and operations life-cycles. Working across EDA Directorates the outcomes of the Energy work strands will address the following:

  • Demonstrate how energy supply systems that combine conventional systems with novel conversion, storage and management technologies alongside increased awareness among personnel can, by adopting a through-life approach: increase safety and survivability of personnel; increase operational effectiveness; reduce energy consumption and efficiency in all phases of the materiel life-cycle; reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and thus reduce the logistical burden; reduce life-cycle costs; increase overall environmental responsibility of crisis management.
  • Identify viable energy supply technologies and systems for immediate to near-term insertion into CMOs and provide recommendations for Medium/Long Term Investments in energy supply technologies and systems
  • Increase awareness among personnel in- and outside theatre, at all levels and functions, to serve as a base for improved and more environmentally responsible decisions and high level policy making in the context of crisis management.
  • Streamline the acquisition process allowing for new technologies such as novel renewable and alternative technologies to reach the operational needs in a timely manner.
  • Take stock of synergies between the civil security and defence domains in energy and environmental responsibility and continue to explore with other non-European crisis management entities.

 
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