Renewable Fuels Ltd has planted 25ha of the species on Strawson’s Knightwood Trust Farms in Cottam, next to EDF Energy’s power station. The five arable fields were previously used for crops such as cereals and oil seed rape.
The willow will be harvested within three years and turned into the carbon neutral Koolfuel before being fired at EDF’s plant.
Peter McGriskin, EDF Energy’s director of thermal production, said: “Using locally-grown energy crops helps to reduce carbon dioxide emission even more as minimal transportation is required to get the crops from field to station.”
Some 230ha of willow have already been established on Stawson’s land during the past six years, making it the largest willow plantation in the UK.
