Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) – At the world’s biggest market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting buyers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins – and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique types of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions might make service jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers – especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the abundant and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a recent private jet journey to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels include “fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market,” said Bryan Sherbacow, chief business 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 sustainable fuel blends 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, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic use of private jets to ensure his family’s security, and has said that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have actually added fresh obstacles for an industry currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting business expenses.

“Incidents of flight shaming including the use of private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years,” stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation – with jets sporting sticker labels like “this airplane flies on sustainable fuels” and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts – is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public perceptions about travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter companies and specialists are also seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase 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 utilization research study his business just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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