The fuel quality was assessed for nine poplar clones (AF2, Androscoggin, Max1, Max3, Max4, Monviso, Muhle-Larsen, NE42, Weser6) and one willow clone (Inger) grown as short rotation coppice (SRC) on four sites in the Brandenburg area in Germany. Fuel quality was analysed in 3-year old shoots in terms of dry matter (DM) mass fraction, total ash mass fraction and concentration of 14 ash-related elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Si, Zn). Clone significantly affected DM and ash mass fraction and concentration of 11 of the 14 elements, site affected concentration of 7 elements, and clone and site interacted on DM, ash mass fraction and concentration of 7 elements. Among the poplar clones, Androscoggin and NE42 generally exhibited highest quality with higher DM mass fraction and lower concentrations of ash, Ca, K, P, Cd and Cu than other poplar clones. The willow clone had high DM mass fraction, low ash mass fraction and generally low concentrations of the major ash-forming elements compared to poplar clones. However, willow had significantly higher mean concentration of Cd, Mn and Zn than all poplar clones but with significant clone-site interactions and, on some sites, the concentrations were no higher in willow than in the poplar clones. Shoot diameter significantly affected fuel quality with thin shoots generally having higher ash mass fraction and element concentrations than thicker shoots. In conclusion, fuel quality of SRC biomass may be improved by selecting appropriate clones and by increasing shoot diameter at harvest. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.