Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) – At the world’s greatest market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring purchasers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins – and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique kinds of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers – especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The accessibility of less polluting personal jets might also spare the rich and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain’s Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The latest 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 manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

“All of our product is inedible.”

Some of the other 79 airplane on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can discharge, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic use of private jets to guarantee his household’s security, and has stated that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh challenges for a market already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting business expenses.

“Incidents of flight shaming including the usage of private jets are regrettable when you think about that our market has delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years,” stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation – with jets sporting sticker labels like “this aircraft flies on renewable fuels” and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting planes – is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, usually 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,” stated air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

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

“At the end of the day, I think that price, cost per hour, variety, speed and performance, that’s still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world.” (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)