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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

rebekahcovingt edited this page 2025-01-12 15:37:27 +08:00

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique kinds of aviation 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 air travel and devoted to emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

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

The schedule of less contaminating private jets could likewise spare the rich and famous the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display screen in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The newest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized 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 renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can give off, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of private jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh obstacles for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using private jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has actually delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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 experts are also seeing more interest from customers 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 role in a corporate jet usage research study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I think that rate, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe people 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)