Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

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By Allison Lampert By Allison Lampert

By Allison Lampert


LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting buyers with their streamlined shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.


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


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


Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions could make service jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.


The availability of less polluting personal jets could likewise spare the rich and famous the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.


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


The most recent waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer 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 blends expected to be pumped at the show.


FLIGHT SHAMING


Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can produce, usually, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.


Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his family's security, and has stated that on the unusual events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.


But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have included fresh difficulties for a market already making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.


"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.


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


But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting aircrafts - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.


Environmentalists and some analysts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, typically mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant impact on public perceptions about luxury travel.


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


Demand from organization jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.


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 business and experts are likewise seeing more interest from clients who wish to purchase 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 utilization study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.


"At the end of the day, I believe that price, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe people are ending up being more conscious of the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)

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