Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack took part in a ceremony in Coronado, California, for the Great Green Fleet, an initiative that uses energy-efficient devices and alternative fuels to extend the operational range of U.S. warships. As part of the event, the USS Stockdale, a guided-missile destroyer, left the pier at Naval Air Station North Island, “becoming the first U.S. Navy ship running on an alternative fuel blend as part of regular operations,” said the USDA. The “drop in” fuel used in the Stockdale includes fuel derived from beef tallow from the Midwest. “The Defense Logistics Agency awarded a contract to AltAir Fuels for 77.6 million gallons of the alternative fuel blend, at a cost to DLA of $2.05 per gallon, making it cost competitive with traditional fuel,” said the USDA.
The Stockdale is part of a carrier strike group with the aircraft carrier USS John Stennis as its centerpiece. The other ships assigned to the group will receive the alternative blend fuel.