mission-biofuels-sdn.-bhd

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing purchasers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their usage of .

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel types of aviation fuel deemed less damaging to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more appealing to environmentally mindful buyers - especially corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting private jets could also spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display screen 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 market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial 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 mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions globally, but can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have actually added fresh difficulties for an industry already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public perceptions about luxury travel.

"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could 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 desire to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a business jet usage research study his business recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I believe that price, cost per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe people are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)