SOLARIS · Project

Nicotine-Free Tobacco Turned into Sustainable Aviation Fuel for European Airlines

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Imagine growing a special tobacco plant — but instead of cigarettes, you squeeze oil from its seeds to make jet fuel. That's exactly what SOLARIS did. They bred a nicotine-free, non-GMO tobacco variety that produces twice the oil of rapeseed and can grow across Europe. The result? Aviation fuel that cuts CO2 emissions by 83% compared to regular kerosene, without competing with food crops or causing deforestation like palm oil does.

By the numbers

83%

CO2 reduction compared to fossil jet fuel

2 Mt/y

Total Addressable Market for sustainable biojet feedstock in Europe

5 hectares

Pilot cultivation validated in Italy

90M€

Target revenues in Italy after 5 years from launch

12.3M€

Cumulated profit after 5 years

7.5x

Return on investment

7.7M€

Target EBIDTA (8.5% margin)

Oil productivity compared to rapeseed and jatropha

The business problem

What needed solving

Airlines face mounting pressure to use sustainable aviation fuel, but the only viable production method (HVO) still depends heavily on palm oil — which drives deforestation and fails sustainability standards. European biojet producers desperately need a certified, locally grown feedstock that can scale without competing with food crops. The 2 Mt/y demand gap for sustainable feedstock in Europe represents a massive unmet market need.

The solution

What was built

A patented nicotine-free tobacco variety (Solaris) optimized for biofuel oil seed production, validated through a 5-hectare pilot cultivation in Italy. The project delivered a pilot implementation report with detailed activity results, plus an industrially viable agronomic process with sustainability certification (2BSvs since 2012, RSB since 2015).

Audience

Who needs this

Airlines seeking certified sustainable aviation fuel to meet SAF mandatesHVO biofuel refineries looking for palm oil alternativesEuropean tobacco farmers needing new revenue streams as cigarette demand fallsAviation fuel traders and brokers (e.g., SkyNRG-type companies)Agricultural cooperatives in Southern Europe with tobacco cultivation experience

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aviation

enterprise

Target: Airlines and aviation fuel buyers

If you are an airline struggling to meet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates — this project developed a European-grown, certified feedstock that produces biojet fuel with 83% CO2 reduction compared to fossil jet fuel. The Solaris tobacco plant delivers double the oil productivity of rapeseed and has been sustainability-certified since 2012. A pilot cultivation of 5 hectares was validated in Italy with ENI and Alitalia collaboration planned for first market launch.

Agriculture

SME

Target: Tobacco farmers and agricultural cooperatives looking for new cash crops

If you are a European tobacco farmer facing declining cigarette demand — this project created a new revenue stream using your existing cultivation expertise. Solaris is a patented tobacco variety grown specifically for biofuel oil seeds, not smoking. It requires no new farming skills, grows on European soil, and targets a market of 2 Mt/y of biojet fuel demand. The 5-hectare pilot in Italy proved agronomic viability.

Biofuel refining

mid-size

Target: HVO refineries and biofuel producers seeking sustainable feedstock

If you are an HVO producer relying on palm oil and worried about deforestation regulations — this project offers a European-sourced alternative feedstock. Solaris seeds produce oil that is second only to palm in productivity, is RSB-certified sustainable since 2015, and can be processed through existing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil production lines. The project targeted a 2 Mt/y addressable market for sustainable feedstock in Europe.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this cost to implement compared to current aviation fuel feedstock?

The project objective states cumulated profit of 12.3M€ after 5 years, which is 7.5 times the investment required, with target revenues of 90M€ and EBIDTA of 7.7M€ (8.5% margin). Specific per-litre or per-tonne production costs are not disclosed in the available project data.

Can this scale to industrial volumes for commercial aviation?

The project validated a 5-hectare pilot cultivation in Italy. The objective targets a Total Addressable Market of 2 Mt/y of biojet fuel in Europe by 2020. Scaling from pilot to industrial production would require significant expansion of cultivation area and processing infrastructure, which was planned as a post-project market launch with ENI and Alitalia.

What is the intellectual property situation — can we license this technology?

Solaris is described as a patented variety of tobacco plant. The patent is held by Sunchem, the project coordinator's partner. Any licensing or supply arrangement would need to go through the consortium. The technology covers the specific plant variety and its optimization for biofuel feedstock.

Does this meet current sustainability regulations for aviation fuel?

Yes — Solaris biojet fuel has been certified sustainable since 2012 by 2BSvs and since 2015 by RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials). It meets IATA's strict requirement for SRB sustainability standards. The fuel achieves 83% CO2 reduction compared to fossil jet fuel.

What is the timeline from interest to actual fuel supply?

The project ran from 2017 to 2019 and completed a 5-hectare pilot in Italy. First market launch was planned in collaboration with ENI, Alitalia, and Boeing Italia after demonstrating industrial feasibility. Based on available project data, the 5-year revenue projection of 90M€ suggests a multi-year ramp-up from pilot to commercial scale.

How does this integrate with existing refinery infrastructure?

Solaris oil is processed via Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) technology, which the objective describes as the only viable way to produce biojet fuel. Existing HVO producers can use Solaris seeds as a drop-in feedstock replacement for palm oil or other oilseed crops without major infrastructure changes.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, industry-only consortium of 2 SME partners from Italy and the Netherlands — no universities or research institutes. With a 100% industry ratio, the project was clearly focused on commercial execution rather than academic research. The Italian coordinator IDROEDIL SRL drove the pilot cultivation in Italy, while the Dutch partner likely contributed supply chain expertise (the Netherlands is home to SkyNRG, a major SAF trader). The small team size and SME-2 funding scheme confirm this was a market-oriented demonstration project, not a research exercise.

IDROEDIL SRLCoordinator · IT

How to reach the team

Contact IDROEDIL SRL (Italy) — reach out to the managing director or business development lead for supply or licensing discussions.

Order a report on this consortium See IDROEDIL SRL profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the SOLARIS team to discuss feedstock supply or licensing? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the coordinator.

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