1 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 luxury jets are drawing buyers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique forms of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually bowed to 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 might make business jets more appealing to environmentally conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating personal jets might likewise spare the abundant and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial 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 screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions globally, but can emit, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of personal jets to guarantee his household's security, and has actually stated 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 added fresh challenges for an industry already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of private jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, usually combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public understandings about luxury travel.

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," said aviation expert Richard .

Demand from company jet operators for sustainable 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, might expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who desire 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 corporate jet utilization research study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

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