Hawaiian Airlines said its method of washing jet engines has saved more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel and about 26,000 gallons of water.
Over the past six years, Hawaiian has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 22,000 metric tons using an eco-friendly engine-washing technology developed by Pratt & Whitney.
In a ceremony attended Monday by Gov. Neil Abercrombie at the company’s Honolulu Airport hangar, Hawaiian President and CEO Mark Dunkerley was awarded a plaque by Pratt & Whitney executive Rick Deurloo recognizing the airline for taking measures to reduce carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. It became the first airline to receive aviation-based carbon credits.
Hawaiian launched the program in 2005 as a test airline for Pratt & Whitney’s EcoPower engine-washing system. Hawaiian’s fuel savings from the engine washing are the equivalent of removing 700 cars from the road annually.
"This reflects our commitment to being fuel-efficient and environmentally conscious," Dunkerley said.
Although only 3 percent of total human-caused carbon emissions come from aircraft, aviation is the fastest-growing source of carbon pollution, The Associated Press said.
The EcoPower system is able to reduce fuel burn and eliminate 3 pounds of carbon dioxide for every pound of fuel saved, while also reducing engine temperatures and normal wear. It uses pure, atomized water to wash aircraft engines in a closed-loop system that filters contaminants and reuses water, eliminating potential contaminant runoff.
Deurloo said several airlines are starting to use the EcoPower system but that no carrier is close to getting carbon credits.
Carbon credits are a tradable commodity that can be sold, held or donated. Dunkerley said Hawaiian intends to donate its credits to charity.
Hawaiian’s carbon credits were certified under the Verified Carbon Standard, an independent standard for the measurement and verification of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of carbon credits.
"Most industries have to account for what their carbon footprint looks like," Deurloo said. "So for Hawaiian Airlines it’s adding up their emissions from all their operations, and then they could say we’re going to reduce our emissions by a certain amount. You can subtract these credits from your total footprint and you’d have a lower footprint."
Dunkerley said only the company’s long-haul aircraft engines are using the EcoPower system because the equipment is on the mainland, but he said he eventually wants to bring the equipment to Hawaii to use on Hawaiian’s interisland fleet as well.
"It’s saving us a great deal in terms of the amount of carbon (that’s reduced) and the beneficial impact on the environment," he said. "The money (savings of several thousand dollars) isn’t that great, but that’s not the main purpose of it."
Abercrombie said Monday’s ceremony was a reminder of what people need to do to take care of the community.
"This isn’t something Hawaiian had to do," he said. "This is an investment that Hawaiian made as part of its commitment to understanding its role here in paradise."
