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

Roberta Belt edited this page 2025-01-12 12:41:10 +08:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring purchasers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel forms of air travel fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more appealing to ecologically mindful purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less polluting personal jets might likewise spare the rich and famous the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 airplane on display screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can discharge, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have added fresh challenges for an industry currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated 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 data, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, typically mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable impact on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest could production, Sherbacow stated.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and specialists are also seeing more interest from clients who wish to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

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

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