"As you can see, miscanthus is very different from anything you would see normally, " he observed.

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Drax say miscanthus can still be useful for farmers wanting to stabilise sandy soils.

BBC: Biomass may hinder climate fight

He added that the experiment would provide data on how novel crops, such as miscanthus, introduced carbon into the soil and how stable it was once it was in the ground.

BBC: Measuring bioenergy crops' carbon footprint credentials

Drax will get 10% of its fuel from British sources like these and there's a high-walled maze at the power station of blocks of chopped miscanthus next to high mounds of shredded willow.

BBC: Biomass may hinder climate fight

Work will involve bio-refining, and developing different processes to turn crops such as rye grass, miscanthus (a perennial grass), oats and artichokes into products ranging from fuels to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, bio-plastics, food and health products.

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