From the halls of Montezuma… to the shores of Tripoli… they have vowed to fight our country’s battles… in the air, on land and sea. So it seems only fitting on this Memorial Day, we talk about how Marines in Hawaii could soon be fighting those battles using biodiesel.
Marine Corps Base Hawaii has launched a two-vehicle demonstration project to test B20 biodiesel in tactical vehicles:
The project team will monitor fuel quality and stability, as well as the vehicles’ operational parameters while using the renewable bio fuel blend during an eight to 12 month period…
The B20 biodiesel use for this demonstration is locally produced from used cooking oil, to include all the cooking oil collected from dining facilities here on base. Reusing the cooking oil reduces waste and saves money that would be required for its disposal. The bio fuel is then locally blended with the petroleum diesel to form B20 biodiesel.
The use of sustainable fuels will help the base meet its ambitious energy goals, in addition to goals established by the Marine Corps and Department of Defense.
Hopefully, if the demonstration project is successful, it can be applied to more vehicles that burn diesel.