Boeing, South African Airways and SkyNRG have developed a tobacco  biofuel production programme in rural South Africa using a new kind of tobacco plant. Tobacco biofuel has been touted as the next generator of environmentally friendly jet fuel and could power jetliners in the near future.

The hybrid plant, known as Solaris, was developed by SkyNRG, a Dutch firm, is nicotine free and according to Julie Felgar, managing director for Boeing’s Environmental Strategy and Integration, has many more seeds than traditional tobacco plants.

“By using hybrid tobacco, we can leverage knowledge of tobacco growers in South Africa to grow a marketable biofuel crop without encouraging smoking,” Ian Cruickshank, South African Airways Group Environmental Affairs Specialist said in a Boeing video. “This is another way that SAA and Boeing are driving development of sustainable biofuel while enhancing our region’s economic opportunity.”