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NOAA
06-R908 Contact: Jana
Goldman FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE (301) 713-2483 April
18, 2006 NOAA Research Vessel
Receives Award for
Vegetarian Diet A NOAA research vessel powered by
soybeans, the first
modern U.S. research vessel to operate free of petroleum products, was
given an
award today by the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management
Program
during an Earth Day Week event on the shores of Lake Michigan.
“NOAA has a commitment to stewardship of the environment,
and this research vessel, the R/V Huron
Explorer, demonstrates that commitment in very practical ways.
Environmentally friendly vessels are better suited to tread lightly on
the
ecosystems they help research,” said Stephen B. Brandt, acting deputy
assistant
administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research.
The “You Have the
Power” campaign helps federal agencies reach their energy-saving
goals
by raising awareness about energy efficiency at federal facilities. The
federal
government can encourage wise energy use, while simultaneously
protecting the
environment and conserving natural resources.
In 2004, the Huron
Explorer, a 41-foot former U.S. Coast Guard vessel, joined the
fleet of
NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory’s other two ships
that are
used to conduct research on the Great Lakes. The Huron
Explorer serves the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and
Underwater Preserve in
The other two ships, including the 67-foot Shenehon
which is one of the oldest in
the NOAA fleet, use some non-petroleum products. The Shenehon
began its use of B100 biodiesel in 2000 and was dubbed the
“french fry” ship by some. It showed immediate reductions in visible
emissions,
smoke and offensive odor, with unchanged performance of the main engine
or
generators. The use of B100 was a significant achievement in
demonstrating soy
oil as an alternative fuel in marine applications. B20,
a 20 percent blend of soy oil with
petroleum diesel, has been in use for a number of years in road
vehicles, such
as cars, buses and trucks. GLERL’s
Ship Operations Group, headed by Dennis Donahue, expanded the use of
bio-hydraulic oil on the Laurentian,
an 80-foot research vessel built in 1974.
All systems using the bio-hydraulic oil performed satisfactorily
without
change to pump or equipment performance while contributing to improved
onboard
storage and reduced inventory.
In August 2005, the Huron
Explorer completed its transformation from petroleum products to
biofuels
and lubricants by incorporating rapeseed-based hydraulic oil for its
deck
crane, winches, transmission and steering gear, and 100 percent soy
biodiesel
for engine fuel and canola-based motor oil.
“We saw dramatic reductions in emissions and improvements
to the original 1974 engines in wet exhaust odor and pollution,”
Donahue said.
“The biodegradable vegetable oils offer an additional level of
environmental
protection in case of a spill or leak.”
Donahue added that the switch to agri-products has
improved the work environment of the ships’ crews and scientists.
“These ships have become real-world field studies that
can be used to expand field test data and support other ship
conversions,” said
Donahue. Other NOAA boat operations and some private vessels are
implementing
similar bio-product conversions based upon experiences at GLERL.
GLERL plans to convert the Shenehon’s remaining
systems to agri-products this year and the Lauentian is
slated to convert to B100
biodiesel in 2007, making all three of the ships 100 percent
petroleum-free. NOAA,
an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing
economic security and national safety through the prediction and
research of
weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of
the nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global
Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its
federal
partners, 61 countries and the European Commission to develop a global
network
that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
-30- On the Web: www.eere.energy.gov/femp/services/yhtp/ -- Michael A. Quigley Ecologist, Information Services Branch, GLERL TEL 734 741 2149 FAX 734 741 2003 http://www.glerl.noaa.gov* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * glin-announce is hosted by the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN): http://www.great-lakes.net To subscribe: http://www.glin.net/forms/glin-announce_form.html To post a message: http://www.glin.net/forms/glin-announce_post.html To search the archive: http://www.glin.net/lists/glin-announce/ All views and opinions presented above are solely those of the author or attributed source and do not necessarily reflect those of GLIN or its management. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |