Don't smoke it: Boeing works on fuel made from tobacco plant

Solaris is a type of tobacco crop that doesn't contain nicotine and Boeing Co. thinks it can help power its airplanes

Boeing (NYSE: BA) said it's working with South African Airways (SAA) on creating the new biofuel, with test-farming of the plant currently taking place in South Africa.

Boeing said that oil from the plant's seeds will be first converted into jet fuel and in the future, it expects emerging technologies to increase South Africa's aviation biofuel production from the rest of the plant.

"By using hybrid tobacco, we can leverage knowledge of tobacco growers in South Africa to grow a marketable biofuel crop without encouraging smoking," said Ian Cruickshank, South African Airways Group environmental affairs specialist, in a statement.

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