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

Candelaria Amaral edited this page 2025-01-12 07:00:21 +08:00

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique forms of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to curb emissions could make business jets more appealing to ecologically mindful buyers - especially corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The accessibility of less polluting private jets could also 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 display in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

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

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions globally, however can release, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his household's security, and has actually said that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his schedule have added fresh obstacles for a market currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

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

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, generally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from company 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions contributed in a corporate jet utilization study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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