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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Melvina Holte edited this page 2025-01-14 05:47:10 -05:00

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel forms of aviation fuel considered less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually bowed to ecological pressure on aviation and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make business jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets could likewise spare the abundant and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions globally, but can give off, typically, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of personal jets to guarantee his household's security, and has actually 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 schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for an industry already making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

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

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

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly 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 broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and experts are likewise seeing more interest from customers who wish to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a business jet utilization research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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