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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Mavis Ellsworth edited this page 2025-01-18 11:25:15 +09:00

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to suppress emissions might make service jets more appealing to ecologically mindful buyers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less jets might also spare the rich and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on 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 represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions worldwide, however can release, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional usage of personal jets to guarantee his household's security, and has said that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh challenges for an industry currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market information, billionaires just have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

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

Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, usually combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from customers who desire to buy carbon credits to balance out 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 business.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)