What's the Argument Against the US Navy's Sustainable Fuels Program About?

The House Took Action Against the US Navy's Use of Biofuels ...but why?

The US House of Representatives, our agency in the US Government that is in change of our money and commerce, has openly opposed the use by the US Navy of Biofuels for ship operations and for aircraft fuel. Their argument is that it is too expensive, however we can't prove the technical or operational merit of these fuels without a broader testing of them in real time exercises. Recently Congress redressed the fleet logistics teams for purchasing fuel for an extended operation  that would demonstrate the use of these bio-sources fuels and their ability to provide full operational capabilities for fleet assets. Their reason: they complained about the cost of these fuels as compared to the standard fossil fuel products that the Navy is trying to break free of.

Is there an ulterior motive? Perhaps...as the House is Republican controlled and the Republican Party is more supportive of the oil industry then the Democrats, but is this wise? Consider that a sea based fleet able to replenish its fuels from domestically sources bio fuels, or fuels produced from the sea...that type of fleet replenishment is worth its weight in  ... well, fuel! And proving the technology now, while we still have ample supplies of fossil fuels is a much better circumstance than trying to create and prove the use of these future fuels once the fossil fuel pipelines have gone dry.

Making Jet Fuel from Seawater

The seawater comes into play as a source of raw ingredients for liquid jet fuel, namely carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, according to NRL, drawing carbon dioxide from seawater can actually be more efficient than using airborne carbon dioxide, because the concentration of carbon dioxide in seawater is 140 times greater than in air.
To split the carbon dioxide and hydrogen away from other elements in seawater, NRL has been developing an electrochemical acidification cell based on chlorine dioxide. It works by using small amounts of electricity to acidify seawater, forming sodium hydroxide.
With the carbon dioxide and hydrogen in hand, the next step is an iron-based catalyst that NRL has tweaked to reduce the production of methane gas (an undesirable byproduct) while producing more hydrocarbons called olefins. Another step in the process converts the olefins to a liquid, and a final step using nickel-based catalysts converts the liquid to a form suitable for jet fuel.
With portability in mind, the research team has been working on a self-contained system that includes a power supply, pump and other accessories, all fitting into a movable skid measuring only 3 feet wide, 5 feet long, and 5 feet high.

"Green" Fleet Refueling at Sea

So far, tests in the lab indicate that the process could produce jet fuel costing in the range of $3 to $6 per gallon. The next hurdle is to give the process a spin in open waters.

Jet Fuel from Seawater: Who Could Hate It?

Aside from the security of domestically and independently sourced fuels, non-petroleum fuel options also enable the Navy to avail itself of fuel supplies from allies around the globe. That’s especially critical as the U.S. turns its attention from the Middle East to the Pacific theater, where the Australian biofuel industry could play a key role.
With China and Japan at loggerheads over ownership of an island and Iran threatening the Strait of Hormuz, now is hardly the time for the party of “support our troops” to undermine U.S. credibility as the world’s most advanced, agile and powerful fighting force at sea.
However, that is exactly what’s happening.
Last spring, Republican leadership in Congress tried to monkeywrench the Navy’s ambitious biofuel program by prohibiting the Department of Defense from purchasing alternative fuels that cost more than conventional fuels, or from building its own biorefineries.
The Navy promptly leaped those hurdles with support from the Obama Administration, in the form of new grants for research leading to low-cost biofuels in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and new biofuel refineries built by private sector partners.
That’s why we’re calling the seawater-to-fuel research Round 3, as the Navy ramps up its efforts to insulate its fighting forces from the logistical burden of fossil fuel and the fiscal burden of global oil markets, despite pushback against alternative fuels from, primarily, leadership in the Republican Party.

Clean Technica (http://s.tt/1onRH)