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

Shirley Cuthbertson edited this page 7 days ago

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique types of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make business jets more attractive to ecologically mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

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

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel producer 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 sustainable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, 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 actually defended his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has stated that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh challenges for a market currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has provided fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect 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 expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

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

Corporate charter business and consultants are also seeing more interest from consumers who desire to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a corporate jet usage research 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 think people are ending up being more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)