Only 1,700 Pumps

In an interview with National Public Radio, Richard Branson has cited the fact that there are only 1,700 aviation jet fuel pumps in the world as a positive for converting airlines to new biofuels.

“The exciting thing about the breakthrough with clean fuels for the airline industry is there are only 1,700 pumps in the world that fill up the airlines. So, unlike having to convert all the cars’ or all the lorries’ petrol stations, once you've actually got the clean fuels, it's relatively easy to get it to the airplanes.”

Branson was talking on proposition that businesses can make a profit and actively care about people, communities and the planet at the same time.

He told NPR, “We’ve definitely cracked the technology. Now we're just trying to be able to produce the amount of fuels that we need to satisfy our own needs and then other people's needs.”

Branson said, “We have a business that some people feel pollutes, and I happen to agree with them.

“And so, on the basis of trying to do good and hopefully turn a profit, we pledged that we'd put all the profits from our airline business into trying to develop clean fuels,” Branson told NPR.

“In the process, we have come up with fuels—algae-based fuels, isobutanol-based fuels and other fuels— that will power the planes in the future, so that by 2020 I hope that our planes will be powered by clean fuels. So [we're] doing good and also turning a profit at the same time,” Branson said.