The dedication marks the completion of Military Construction Project (MILCON) P-1306, an $84 million renovation awarded in 2013 as part of a series of fuel facilities upgrades aimed at extending facility life expectancy, reducing operating costs, providing increased storage capability and improving overall safety.
“Fuels and warfighter readiness go hand in hand,” said Commanding Officer Capt. Michelle Morse. “This new pier was built to play a pivotal role in the future of our fleet. It is going to keep our Navy and allied forces prepared and equipped to successfully execute training missions and real-life contingencies beyond the next generation of warfighters.”
The NAVSUP FLC San Diego DFSP fuels team is charged with providing petroleum, oil, and lubricant logistics support to 86 home ported ships, submarines and transient vessels. It is the cornerstone for providing tactical fuel support to Navy command units homeported or operating in the Southern California Operations Area, supporting the largest concentration of naval forces in the world.
The new, double-decker fuel pier is the first of its kind; developed with evolving environmental and seismic standards in mind and boasting a 75-year minimum service life design.
“MILCON P-1306 was accomplished skillfully through effective working partnerships, with all required inspections and tests performed successfully and documented without impacting ongoing fleet operations,” said Morse. “There is no doubt this new fuel pier will better protect the environment. It is fully compliant with Marine Terminal Engineering Maintenance Standards, California State Lands Commission regulations, and federal requirements.”
With 17 fueling stations, the 1,100 foot pier is equipped to issue JP-5 jet fuel, diesel fuel (marine), and lubricating oils, while also having the capability to off-load contaminated petroleum products. The more than 44 million pounds of concrete poured during construction permitted a pier stature that will allow for a two-foot increase in ocean levels, support 100,000 deadweight tons, and accommodate massive mobile cranes and forklifts while topping vessels off at a transfer rate of about 300,000 gallons per hour.
The finished project was the result of extensive collaboration between NAVSUP FLC San Diego, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Burns and McDonnell, and NOVA-Schimmick.
“The new pier is a brilliant example of mission accomplishment through genuine team effort,” said Southwest Regional Fuels Officer Lt. Cmdr. Brian Madden. “Successfully fueling our warfighters is a direct result of a dedicated Navy and contractor team that balanced safety, quality and production; all while ensuring all fuel distribution requirements were met through every phase of construction.”
Military Sealift Command auxiliary dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) served as a fitting backdrop as it took on more than 600,000 gallons of diesel fuel during the ceremony.
“When you are in the business of providing 400 million gallons of fuel per year, it is absolutely critical to have the most advanced equipment and facilities available,” said Morse. “The Navy and its customers are going to benefit from even safer, more environmentally-conscious fueling evolutions moving forward.”
NAVSUP FLC San Diego, one of eight fleet logistics centers under NAVSUP Global Logistics Support (GLS), provides operational logistics, business and support services to fleet, shore and industrial commands of the Navy, Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and other Joint and Allied Forces. Services include contracting, regional transportation, fuel, material management, household goods movement support, postal and consolidated mail, warehousing, global logistics and husbanding, hazardous material management, and integrated logistics support.
NAVSUP GLS provides global logistics for a global Navy. The organization is made up of more than 6,300 military and civilian logistics professionals operating from 105 locations worldwide providing an extensive array of integrated global logistics and contracting services to Navy, Marine Corps, joint operational units, and allied forces across all warfare enterprises.
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For more news from Naval Supply Systems Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navsup/.