The Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Energy Support Center(DESC) and Air Transport Association of America (ATS), have signed a strategic alliance agreement in Washington DC, recognizing a partnership for the development and deployment of alternative aviation fuels.
The agreement between Department of Defense and the principal US airlines will drive the development and deployment of commercially viable, environmentally friendly, alternative aviation fuels.
The intent of the strategic alliance is to establish a collaborative forum focused on spurring aviation alternative fuels market growth.
The alliance directs the formation of three collaborative teams composed of ATA and DESC representatives, with each team focused on specific developmental and marketing models of the alternative fuels goals.
Environment team will identify common methodologies for life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions for alternative aviation fuels. The deployment and logistics team will identify locations or regions suitable for alternative fuels production and deployment, and means of distribution to and from those locations. The contracting and finance team will jointly publicize supply opportunities, explore opportunities for complementary fuel-supply agreements and develop pricing and finance mechanisms.
The alliance teams are scheduled to participate in a special aviation session at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, April 27-29 in Washington, DC.
They will also hold an industry forum at the 2010 DESC Worldwide Energy Conference where they will meet jointly with alternative fuel suppliers to discuss an array of projects across the country to deploy alternative aviation fuels.
Kurt Kunkel, commander rear admiral of DESC, said: “This is a significant step forward in the alternative fuels arena, and further shows commitment by the Department of Defense and the commercial aviation industry in our mutual goal of promoting energy security and safeguarding the health of our environment.’
“Doing what is right for our armed forces is an ingrained piece of our mission at the Defense Logistics Agency and DESC. Doing what is right also means doing what is efficient and in the best interest of our environment, while continuing to move forward with technology and energy advancements. The strategic alliance represents this commitment.”
James May, president and CEO of ATA, said: “The airline industry and DoD collectively require more than 1.5 million barrels of jet fuel per day.
”By combining our talents and experience, we are better positioned to explore cooperative market engagement for fuel, improve the financial prospects for alternative fuels infrastructure, accelerate fuel certification efforts and refine our methodology for determining environmental impacts.”