There is a new, hybrid tobacco plant: Solaris. This plant has many oil-rich seeds and little nicotine. Initially, only the oils from the seeds are used, but Boeing does not rule out that eventually the entire tobacco plant can be used. Because there is little nicotine in the plant, Solaris is not suitable for the cigarette industry. SkyNRG specializes in biofuels for airplanes and ensures production.
Farmers
In South Africa, a lot of tobacco is grown. Unfortunately, farmers are at risk of losing part of their income because the government discourages smoking. An airplane that uses tobacco plants as fuel can help the farmers. The intention is that the plant contains no, or almost no, nicotine. The farmers already possess the knowledge and can therefore easily switch. Boeing and South African Airways are working with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials to ensure that production meets the standards.
Reducing emissions
South African Airways wants a full-fledged alternative to kerosene by 2017 and asked Boeing for help in implementing the biofuel program. The fuel made from tobacco plants could reduce the CO2 emissions of airplanes by 50 to 80 percent compared to fossil kerosene.
