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

Lauri Villareal edited this page 2025-01-12 09:27:19 +03:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are tempting buyers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique forms of air travel fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually acquiesced environmental pressure on aviation and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more attractive to ecologically conscious buyers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting private jets might likewise spare the abundant and well-known the unfavorable publicity by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, however can produce, typically, up to 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 usage of private jets to ensure his family's safety, and has 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 itinerary have added fresh challenges for a market already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our industry has actually provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, usually combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from service jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

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 business and experts are likewise seeing more interest from clients who wish to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, expense per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, 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)