Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) – At the world’s biggest industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their smooth silhouettes, luxurious cabins – and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique forms of aviation fuel considered less to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make service jets more appealing to environmentally mindful buyers – especially corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The schedule of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the rich and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain’s Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of “fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market,” 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 product is inedible.”

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can discharge, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his household’s safety, and has actually stated that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh challenges for an industry currently aiming to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

“Incidents of flight shaming including making use of personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years,” stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover – with jets sporting stickers like “this aircraft 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 event.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

“No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly,” said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

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

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

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

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions played a role in a corporate jet usage research study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

“At the end of the day, I think that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that’s still the (sales) motorist. 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)