NOAA's Green Ship Initiative

In a nationally award winning effort, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) under the direction of Marine Superintendent Dennis Donahue has converted its fleet of three large diesel engine research vessels to operate on bio-based, vegetable products. The GLERL vessels R/V Huron Explorer, R/V Shenehon, and R/V Laurentian use soy biodiesel engine fuel, canola based motor oil, and vegetable based hydraulic fluid in their normal, everyday operations. Benefits to date include reduced emissions, improved vessel performance, and lower operating costs.

Green Ship Initiative - GLERL's Ship Operations Group started to look at pioneering ways to lower the environmental effects of their research vessels. Starting with small steps, the initiative grew in scope as the team built on their successes. A key feature of the effort was the use of 100 percent soy based diesel (B100) in preference to a 20 percent soy blend already in commercial use. The team saw benefits that included reduced emissions, better engine lubricity, cleaner fuel injectors, and reduced operating costs. The Ship Operations Group went on to use vegetable based oils for transmissions, gearboxes, and as hydraulic fluid. An added benefit of this shift to vegetable based oils are the reduced environmental effects of an accidental spill or leak compared to petroleum based products.

National Awards - Ship Operations Group Marine Superintendent Dennis Donahue and the Green Ship Initiative have been honored several times nationally and shown leadership in their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of NOAA research vessels. NOAA Research Vessel Huron Explorer was awarded a You Have the Power award from the U.S. Department of Energy on Earth Day 2006. The Green Ship Initiative received a Closing-the-Circle award for green purchasing from the White House on 12 June 2007. This environmental effort fostered interest in use of vegetable based oils and fuels by other part of NOAA nationally.

Highlights and Suggestions Coming from the Green Ship Initiative - Based on recent media releases, Dennis Donahue and NOAA share some insights on use of bio based fuels and oils:

• The Green Ship Initiative represents a mind set by NOAA to demonstrate advanced practices in vessel operations that help reduce pollution, lower costs, and improve safety.
• Ethanol and biodiesel are effective substitutes for unmodified engines found in marine vessels.
• B20 (20 percent soy based diesel) is already used successfully in all types of diesel powered boats.
• Bio-based fuels offer reductions in petroleum use, lower emissions, and improve worker health and safety.
• The Green Ship Initiative focused on adapting new bio-based products to existing technology used by working boats and not on engineering new vessel designs.
• Many practices adopted by the initiative are directly transferable to commercial and recreational vessel operations.
• GLERL saw a 17 percent reduction in operating costs and reduced capital expenses due to extended vessel and equipment life cycles.

GLERL has established a working group to share lessons learned in the Green Ship Initiative with other organizations and vessel operators. While the effort is initially focused on research vessels, the outreach effort has grown through the use on email lists, newsletters, and seminars.