A Virgin spokesman wouldn’t say what the biofuel would be made from or who would be making it. But he did reportedly say that the fuel would be sustainable and that it was not an oil that would compete with food.

No passengers will be on the flight, the report says.

Via CNNMoney.com

The entire 6,000km trip – which will take them through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania on their way to Mali – will be powered by biodiesel made from waste chocolate.

The BioTruckers, Andy Pag and John Grimshaw, aim to show that biodiesel can be made in ways that are environmentally friendly. They say their truck’s fuel has been assessed by independent experts at CarbonAided and “its manufacture and use emit just a tenth of the carbon footprint of fossil diesel”.

The BioTruck is a “recycled” 1989 Ford Iveco Cargo flatbed that was rescued from the scrap heap. It is carrying 1,500 litres of the choccy-diesel and two Landcruisers from the mid 80s that will be needed to complete the difficult last 200km stretch of the trip to Timbuktu.

The team is expected to arrive in Timbuktu on December 16.

For more on the BioTruck expedition click here