Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting buyers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display unique forms of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually acquiesced ecological pressure on aviation and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.
Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.
The availability of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on screen in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The latest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer 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 blends expected to be pumped at the show.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can release, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has actually defended his occasional use of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh challenges for a market currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.
"Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the market make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.
But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.
Environmentalists and some analysts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public understandings about luxury travel.
"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," said aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might 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 specialists are likewise seeing more interest from clients who desire to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.
Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions played a function in a corporate jet utilization research study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.
"At the end of the day, I think that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe people are ending up being more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." ( By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)
