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 greatest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique types of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

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

The availability of less contaminating private jets could also spare the rich and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half 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 most recent waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can give off, usually, up to 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 occasional use of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for a market currently aiming to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the usage of personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has provided fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," said 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 data, billionaires only have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

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

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly 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, could expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts 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 played a function in a corporate jet utilization research study his business just 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) motorist. But I believe individuals are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)