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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Tarah Arnett edited this page 2025-01-18 06:09:23 +00:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their smooth silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase unique forms of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more appealing to environmentally mindful buyers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating personal jets could also spare the abundant and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent personal jet trip 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 by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions globally, but can give off, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his occasional use of personal jets to guarantee his family's security, and has stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his travel plan have added fresh difficulties for a market already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will help the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to market data, billionaires just 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 going to airplanes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

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

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

Demand from organization jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

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

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

"At the end of the day, I believe that cost, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I believe individuals are ending up being more aware of the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)