Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
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By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing purchasers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique types of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from used cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make organization jets more attractive to environmentally conscious buyers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating private jets could likewise spare the rich and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

A few of the other 79 airplane on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions globally, however can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic use of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has said that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh challenges for an industry already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel effectiveness enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry information, billionaires only have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, normally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable impact on public perceptions about .

"No amount 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 surpasses 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and consultants are also seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

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