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

Isis Le Fanu edited this page 2025-01-17 20:39:56 +01:00

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique kinds of air travel fuel deemed less damaging to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less polluting private jets could likewise spare the rich and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current private 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 include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can give off, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually said that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have included fresh difficulties for a market already striving to validate its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has actually provided fuel effectiveness enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including 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 remain doubtful that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for eco-friendly 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 broaden production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and consultants 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, stated emissions played a role in a business jet usage study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that price, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think people are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)