London (PTI): It's a green fuel breakthrough in aviation -- the first flight by a commercial airline to be powered by biofuel is to take off from Heathrow airport.

Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747 will have one of its four engines connected to an independent biofuel tank which will provide 20 per cent of the engine's power during its three-hour passenger-less flight to Amsterdam, the 'BBC News' portal reported on Sunday.

However, if there is a problem, three other engines will be able to power the plane entirely on conventional fuel.

According to Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, using technology to develop greener fuel options will not only lower emissions but will also allow for other global warming issues to be tackled.

"It's not necessarily going to be the silver bullet for the long term future but it will prove that a fuel like this can fly at 30,000 feet," he was quoted as saying.

However, Virgin has so far refused to say what its biofuel -- which is plant derived -- is made from.

"The airline will reveal the specific biofuel after the flight," a spokesman said, stressing that it was one which did not compete with staple food resources.

The date of the flight is yet to be announced.

Earlier this month, Airbus's used the world's largest passenger jet, the A380 to test another alternative fuel -- a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid. The three-hour Airbus flight from Filton near Bristol to Toulouse on February one was part of an ongoing research programme.