US military funds $35 Million in research of algae-based jet fuel

Wednesday, Dec 24, 2008

Science Applications International and General Atomics secure contracts through 2010 to help commercialize biofuel for military jets and vehicles.

A sector of the U.S. Department of Defense has signed nearly $35 million in contracts with two San Diego companies to develop biofuel derived from algae for use in Air Force jets and Army vehicles.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) signed a $14.9 million deal with Science Applications International to work on making the algae-based jet fuel commercially and technically feasible.

DARPA also signed a $19.9 million deal with General Atomics to research algae-based fuel.

The two agreements are expected to last through 2010.

For several years, the U.S. Department of Defense has been searching for an alternative to its Jet Propellant 8 (JP-8) fuel for military jets.

In 2006, DARPA signed an 18-month, $5 million contract with the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota to develop a JP-8 substitute (see U.S. DoD funds biofuel development for military). The EERC plans to participate in the new research with General Atomics.

Another General Atomics partner is UOP, a Honeywell (NYSE: HON) company, which received $6.7 million in funding frrom DARPA to in June 2007 accelerate research and development on making military jet fuel out of vegetable and algal oils (see Refinery tech company UOP targets renewable JP-8).

Other partners in the General Atomics reserach are the Scripps Institutions of Oceanography, Arizona State University, Blue Sun Biodiesel, Texas A&M AgriLIFE, Hawaii Bio Energy, and Utah State University.

DARPA says that more than 90 percent of the fuel used by the Department of Defense is JP-8, amounting to 71 million barrels and a cost of $6 billion in 2006. The kerosene-based fuel is less flammable and less hazardous than other fuel options, allowing for better safety and combat survivability.

JP-8 is also used to fuel heaters, stoves, tanks, and other vehicles in military service. Commercial airliners use Jet A and Jet A-1, which is also kerosene-based.

Meanwhile, Science Applications has been working with BAE Systems General Dynamics and the Army to develop next-generation combat vehicles (see Saft gets follow-on contract for hybrid combat vehicle).