EUROPE'S biggest coal-fired power station is to receive its first delivery of home-grown bio-fuel, courtesy of farmer Sir Ben Gill.

More than 160 tonnes of willow coppice has been harvested at the farm of outgoing National Farmers' Union president Sir Ben Gill.

Bio-energy uses natural resources to generate power, reducing damage to the environment.

The harvest at Hawkhills, near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, which is bound for the Drax power station, near Selby, is the culmination of seven years' commitment to the region's fledgling bio-energy industry.

The five-acre plantation at Hawkhills was one of the first in the country to be planted and was first harvested in 2000.

Yields from its second harvest are expected to increase by at least 50 per cent.

The harvest was carried out using an 18-tonne £70,000 machine from Australia.

Sir Ben said: "Bio-energy is here to stay and it is accepted that the country cannot rely totally on wind power.

"We are learning rapidly and gaining the expertise, partnership networks and capacity we need to make a success of short rotation coppicing.

"I've heard it said that there is the potential for a million acres of willow coppice in the UK and, if that comes to fruition, this country will be up there, challenging some of the major players in the market.

"With business now starting to take off, it's vital that farmers across Yorkshire and the North-East seize on these opportunities to ensure it is UK businesses that benefit."