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

Efren Kimber edited this page 2 weeks ago

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their sleek silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique forms of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and dedicated to in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make service jets more appealing to environmentally mindful buyers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating personal jets could also spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

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

The newest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can produce, usually, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his occasional use of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has actually stated that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh challenges for an industry already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of private jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

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

Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, usually blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable impact on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from customers who wish to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think people are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)