Record Year for Navy's Incentivized Energy Conservation Program
Story Number: NNS091022-12
Release Date: 10/22/2009 3:51:00 PM
From Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate Communications
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Incentivized Energy Conservation (i-ENCON) initiative announced Oct. 19 that Navy ships realized a record 1.36 million barrels of oil in fuel avoidance during fiscal 2009.
The banner year savings represent an increase of 10.35 percent more than the previous high of 1.23 million barrels of fuel avoidance during fiscal 2006.
"These efforts increase Fleet readiness by enabling Sailors at sea to train or deploy longer while spending the same amount of money on fuel," said Hasan Pehlivan, i-ENCON program manager.
These savings also increase Fleet readiness by providing enough fuel to support 27 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (at an average of 2,500 underway hours) per year.
The i-ENCON program is a "Meet-the-Fleet" initiative spearheaded by NAVSEA to reduce ships' energy consumption. Program sponsors conduct routine meetings with ship operators to review specific fuel-saving procedures and recommend quarterly awards for ships with the most fuel-efficient operations.
One of the ways NAVSEA's i-ENCON measures fuel usage and cost avoidance is through underburn, the reported fuel rate for the quarter that is below the ship class' average burn rate. One hundred thirty-one Pacific and Atlantic Fleet ships reported an underburn for fiscal year 2009.
"The cumulative underburn was 14.6 percent of fuel consumption for fiscal 2009, which exceeded the i-ENCON goal of 10 percent by a wide margin," said Pehlivan. "This underburn translates into a fuel cost avoidance of $123 million (based on average fuel costing $90 barrel)."
For fiscal 2008, $136 million in fuel cost avoidance was realized when fuel costs reached an average of $130 barrel.
The performance may be attributable to ships receiving $2 million in cash awards distributed in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year by Commander, Naval Surface Forces, according to Pehlivan.
i-ENCON rewards leading fuel conservers among underway surface ships with special recognition and cash incentives up to $67,000. In fiscal 2008, 148 ships received incentive cash awards. According to Pehilvan, award money is routed to each commanding officer's discretionary funds, that are often used to buy items like damage control gear or to augment the ship's welfare and recreation programs.
"These incentives are very important to i-ENCON's success," Pehlivan added. "It's a voluntary program that requires real commitment from ships' commanding officers, chief engineers and main propulsion assistants. I receive calls and emails from ships every day wanting to know how they can participate and improve their fuel performance."
