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

Dana Goldschmidt edited this page 2025-01-12 14:48:04 +08:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry program in Las jets are luring buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display novel types of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make business jets more attractive to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating private jets might also spare the rich and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent 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 byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

Some 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 overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can produce, usually, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic use of personal jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has stated that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have actually included fresh challenges for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using private jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has delivered fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said 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 data, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting aircrafts - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public understandings about high-end travel.

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company 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 also seeing more interest from consumers who wish to purchase 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 study his business recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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