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 high-end jets are drawing purchasers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique types of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced environmental 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 service jets more attractive to ecologically mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.
The availability of less contaminating private jets could also spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse 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 newest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.
"All of our product is inedible."
A few of the other 79 aircraft on display screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions internationally, but can release, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.
Prince Harry has actually defended his periodic use of private jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has actually said that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh challenges for an industry currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% company jet ownership rate.
But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.
Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public understandings about high-end travel.
"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from organization jet operators for 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 broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who wish 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 business jet utilization research study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.
"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I believe individuals are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)