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

Marguerite Charteris edited this page 2025-01-18 07:25:26 +08:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing purchasers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

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

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make business jets more appealing to environmentally mindful purchasers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

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

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can release, on average, 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 use of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has said that on the unusual events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh obstacles for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our market has provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out aircrafts - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are also seeing more interest from clients who desire to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I believe 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)