US Navy to test biofuel

The US military are expected to invest billions of dollars in a biofuel development.

Teaming up with leading global shipping organisation Maersk, the US will test algae biofuel developments to determine whether it can truly compete with petroleum products on a large scale.

In the test, Maersk will navigate a large 300 foot container ship from Germany to India, a journey of 6,500 nautical miles, on 30 tonnes of biofuel.

The container ship Maersk Kalmar has an auxiliary test engine and has already been modified to ensure it can be powered by biofuel blends higher than the 50/50 that the US Navy can currently use.

During the journey, it will test blends from seven per cent to 100 per cent.

"The shipping industry needs to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas intensity in the coming decades. In the short term, we can gain a lot by focusing on improving fuel efficiency. In the longer term, we would like to see sustainable biofuels become a commercially available, low-carbon fuel," said Jacob Sterling, head of Maersk's climate and environment activities.

He added that he hoped the test will determine the optimum blend for biofuel.

Posted by Lauren Steadman