mission-agroenergy-ltd

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel types of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to suppress emissions might make service jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating private jets could also spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The newest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer 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 anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has defended his occasional use of to ensure his family's safety, and has stated that on the unusual celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have actually included fresh challenges for a market already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of private jets are regrettable when you think about that our market has actually provided fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to airplanes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, typically mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public understandings about high-end travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who wish to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a role in a corporate jet utilization study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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