Hawaiian Airlines received the first-ever aviation-based carbon credit this week. Known as Verified Carbon Units, the credits get issued under the requirements of the Verified Carbon Standard using a new methodology developed by Pratt & Whitney that provides a validated process for calculating CO2 savings using the company’s EcoPower engine wash.

“Importantly, engine washing with EcoPower is helping us mitigate rising fuel costs and singly reduce Hawaiian’s carbon footprint at the same time,” said Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO Mark Dunkerley.

Pratt & Whitney claims that since 2005 Hawaiian has saved more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel and 26,000 gallons of water, eliminated potential soil and groundwater contamination and cut its CO2 emissions by 22,000 metric tons as a result of its continuous use of the EcoPower process.

“It is appropriate that our first EcoPower customer, Hawaiian Airlines, is also the first customer to be awarded Verified Carbon Units as a result,” said Pratt & Whitney vice president of sales for the Americas Rick Deurloo.

Pratt & Whitney has calculated that its EcoPower engine wash system reduces fuel burn by as much as 1.2 percent, eliminating some three pounds of carbon dioxide emissions for every pound of fuel saved, while decreasing engine gas temperature and, therefore, increasing engine time on wing.