1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
Hugh Lonergan edited this page 2025-01-12 11:22:38 +08:00


By Lampert

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

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

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually acquiesced environmental pressure on air travel and dedicated to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make business jets more appealing to ecologically mindful buyers - specifically corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating private jets could also spare the abundant and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent private jet journey 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 consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

Some of the other 79 aircraft on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, but can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have included fresh difficulties for a market currently making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the use of personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has delivered fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to market data, billionaires only have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

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

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

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond 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 as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are likewise seeing more interest from customers who desire to buy carbon credits to offset 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 completed for a Fortune 500 business.

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