1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Bertie Dewey edited this page 3 months ago

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique forms of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might likewise spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The most current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 airplane on screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can release, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added for a market currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization jet operators for sustainable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might expand production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are also seeing more interest from customers who wish to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a business jet utilization research study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I think people are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)