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The jet fuel will be made from a hybrid tobacco
plant known as Solaris, which will be produced by alternative
jet fuel maker SkyNRG, both companies said in a joint statement
on Wednesday.
Test farming of the plants, which are nicotine-free, is ongoing
in South Africa, with biofuel output expected in the "next few
years", the companies said.
"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, SAA's Group
Environmental Affairs Specialist, said.
This biofuel has potential in several regions where traditional
tobacco is cultivated, including Africa, southern and central
Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America, Boeing spokeswoman
Jessica Kowal said.
South Africa has set the beginning of October next year as the
date when fuel producers will start blending diesel and petrol
with biofuel to cut its reliance on imported fuel.
The biofuels industry in South Africa, the continent's biggest
agricultural producer, has been held back by an inadequate
regulatory regime and concerns that biofuels would hurt food
security and impact food prices.
(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Additional reporting by
Tim Hepher; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Louise Heavens)
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