As part of the Military Green effort EDA launched a study in 2012 to address the dependency on fossil fuels in operations. The study, now concluded, sheds light over the actual consumption and proposes concrete measures to increase energy efficiency and in doing so reduce the overall fuel consumption.
Using fossil fuels comes with an addiction that is hard to shake and we rely on them heavily to get through the day. Diesel and petrol power our cars and busses while coal and oil help us keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The latter types of fuels also help power the metro systems and the overhead railway lines to take us longer distances. To take us really long distances kerosene is what propels us all the way up into the Jetstream.
The defence domain is no less susceptible. On the contrary, over the years the dependency has grown and although it mainly concerns logistic fuels, they are nonetheless fossil. But as shown by this Workshop there is room for change and improvements can be made today, some aided by technology others through spreading awareness.
Reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency of our deployed systems will reduce the overall need for fuel. Subsequently the number of convoys needed to be sent into high threat theatre can be reduced. By doing so, the exposure to risk by personnel can be reduced.
The reduction in fuel consumption also results in lower materiel life-cycle costs. Furthermore the sheer reduction in overall combustion of fossil fuels reduces the hazardous emissions. These aspects are not only relevant to high threat areas but also to the other extreme in terms of CMOs, disaster relief. Also, if we can reduce fuel consumption in theatre, we can most likely do the same in the homeland.
Contracted to Spanish company ISDEFE, the study with the acronym Fuel-D provides a statistical picture of overall energy consumption in operations as well as specific data associated with selected camps in theatre. The statistics have been analysed in order to identify trends and opportunities for reducing consumption. Fuel-D has further developed a software tool to allow mission planners to better understand how capabilities can be enhanced by reducing energy consumption and how this affects the cost burden positively. In addition Fuel-D has shown how camp designs can be optimised through the introduction of novel and renewable energy technologies. This is in particular feeds straight into EDA and Member States expert work in developing Best Practices for Energy Supply Systems for Camps.
The successful conclusion of the Fuel-D study feeds into the continued work on energy and environment that EDA Member States are undertaking. The upcoming workshop series Military Green 2013 to be held in early June will be the first step in exploiting the results of the Fuel-D study.
More information:
- A leaflet on Military Green can be found here.
- More information on the Military Green 2012 conference and outcome is available here.