Hawaiian Airlines earns carbon credits following six-year use of P&W's engine washing system
(photo: Airbus)
Tue 21 Feb 2012 – Hawaiian Airlines has earned what it claims to be the first-ever aviation-based verified carbon credits, having reduced its CO2 emissions by nearly 22,000 tonnes over the past six years using Pratt & Whitney’s engine washing technology. Since its launch in 2005, the programme has saved the airline more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel, along with an estimated 26,000 gallons of water that would be have been used with traditional washing methods. The credits have been quantified and certified under the Verified Carbon Standard, the most widely used international quality-assurance system for carbon credits issued in voluntary markets.
“We are proud to be the first airline to receive verified carbon credits for reducing emissions,” said Hawaiian CEO Mark Dunkerley. “Importantly, engine washing with EcoPower is helping us to mitigate rising fuel costs and significantly reduce Hawaiian’s carbon footprint at the same time.”
The airline was the first customer to use the system, which, says Pratt & Whitney, can reduce fuel burn by up to 1.2%. It uses pure, atomised water to wash aircraft engines in a closed-loop system that filters contaminants and reuses the water, eliminating potential contaminant runoff.
As well as commitments to acquire a fleet of new, more efficient aircraft valued at more than $8 billion, Hawaiian has also installed performance-enhancing, fuel-saving winglets on its existing wide-body fleet as well as lighter passenger seats and service carts. It is also employing a variety of other fuel conservation measures, as well as increased recycling of waste materials and use of renewable and biodegradable resources in onboard meal packaging and utensils.
The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), based in Washington DC, was founded in 2005 by the Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Projects use VCS requirements to ensure their carbon reductions meet accepted quality standards and are independently verified, uniquely numbered and transparently listed in a central database. VCS says this ensures businesses and consumers can trust and confirm the history of every Verified Carbon Unit (VCU) from issuance to retirement.
