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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Harriet Coombes edited this page 2025-01-11 16:21:38 +00:00

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel types of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually acquiesced environmental pressure on aviation and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions could make business jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - specifically corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, however can emit, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his periodic use of personal jets to guarantee his family's security, and has said that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh challenges for an industry already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using private jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the market make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to market data, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are also seeing more interest from consumers 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 role in a corporate jet utilization research study his business just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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