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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Teri Bostick edited this page 2025-01-18 02:35:11 +01:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant market show in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring purchasers with their smooth silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel forms of air travel fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to might make organization jets more attractive to environmentally mindful buyers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets could also spare the abundant and famous the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent private jet journey 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 consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 aircraft on screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.

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 personal charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have added fresh obstacles for an industry already making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

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

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out aircrafts - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public understandings about high-end travel.

"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

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

Corporate charter companies and experts are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I believe that cost, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I think people are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)