A shipment of nearly 1,200 tonnes of Pulverised Fuel Ash set sail from the station's jetty on the River Ouse (pictured), taking advantage for the first time of one of the most carbon-efficient means of shifting freight and removing about 40 lorries from the roads.

Drax, which produces about 1.4 million tonnes of the combustion by-product PFA per year, has traditionally exported this material by road but, in partnership with ash sales agent Hargreaves Coal Combustion Products Ltd and specialist bulk handling company TW Logistics Ltd, it was decided to take to the water.

PFA can be used for a number of purposes, including the manufacture of concrete products and building blocks, as well as for structural fill. Utilising waterborne freight, each ship is able to carry about 1,200 tonnes per trip, and the power station is hoping the recent trials could set the way for more permanent freight movements of PFA from Drax via the River Ouse jetty.

British Waterways North East freight and harbour supervisor Stuart McKenzie said: "Nationally, British Waterways handles about 1.9 million tonnes of freight per year. One of the waterways' principal assets is the potential to provide sustainable transport solutions with environmental benefits.

"The canal infrastructure provides the perfect platform for reducing lorry journeys from already congested roads, and is an environmentally sound solution to ever-increasing transport problems. We see major opportunities to carry freight on our waterways and we will continue to be supportive of companies looking to explore these opportunities."

Drax production director Peter Emery said: "At Drax, we're continually looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment.

"Using the waterways to transport our PFA not only means we utilise a lower carbon form of transport and reduce our movements by road but, by reducing transportation costs, we're able to look further afield and gain access to new markets.

"The more PFA we're able to sell, the less goes to landfill taking us closer towards our target of zero ash landfill."