Tobacco tree 'could be used as a biofuel'

Researchers have discovered a tobacco tree that they believe could be used as a biofuel.

Nicotina Glauca could be used as a biodiesel that could function directly as a fuel or cracked to create petroleum products.

The plant thrives in warm, arid climates, does not need fertile ground to grow well, and can flourish in regions where just 200mm of rainfall is experienced each year. It will also grow in extremely hot climates where temperatures exceed 40 degrees C.

Dr Paul Fraser from the School of Biological Sciences at the Royal Holloway, University of London, explained that the plant's resilience is a "crucial factor".

"It means that growing this crop will not be in competition for land space with food crops. Indeed, many farmers have already raised concerns about giving their land over to biofuel crops.

"Our discovery could potentially solve this issue," he said.

The conditions the plant is able to thrive in mean that it could potentially be grown in desert climatic conditions, which opens up the possibility of planting it in countries like the United Arab Emirates, North Africa and other tropical regions of the world.

Initial studies have shown it could be potential source of bioethanol and biodiesel. This can be used as a fuel for vehicles, but is usually an additive which reduces the levels of particulates, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons that come from diesel-powered vehicles.

This promising study has led to a grant of £4.4 million for the research centre, along with partners in industry and academia, to develop the work further. The grant, which was given through the MultiBioPro project, is to enable the centre to provide new insights into biological processes. It is also intended to improve the use of renewable energy sources.

Figures from the International Energy Agency indicate that biofuels could meet more than one-quarter of demand for transportation fuels worldwide by 2050 - significantly cutting emissions.