The EDI bursary scheme has been established to support schools, with high proportions of young people from groups underrepresented in engineering, to overcome the barriers limiting pupil’s participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activities with the ultimate goal of increasing the diversity of young people choosing a future in engineering.
The new Drax funding will help schools across the UK to participate in exciting STEM activities, including EngineeringUK’s Big Bang at School programme. Big Bang at School brings the world of STEM straight to the classroom, encouraging young people to get inspired about what a career could look like as an engineer or scientist. From hands-on workshops to spectacular shows, Big Bang at School allows young people to learn while having fun.
The Foundation is a key part of Drax’s community strategy, which is focused on ensuring that the business delivers a positive impact in the communities where it operates. Part of the work of the Foundation is providing funding for activities that enable people to develop STEM skills.
The new funding for the EDI bursary will be directed toward schools in regions where Drax operates in the UK including Selby, Oban, Dumfries and Galloway. Schools can apply for the funding through the EngineeringUK website.
Shona King, Head of Community at Drax Group, said:
“EngineeringUK is doing fantastic work in supporting more young people, and particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to become interested in engineering and pursue a career in the profession. We are delighted to be providing more funding to their EDI bursary scheme which will enable more school pupils to participate in STEM activities in the areas where we operate.
“The Drax Foundation is committed to giving back to its communities, it’s important to us to help children develop the skills, particularly in STEM, that can help solve challenges like climate change and develop and deploy new technologies like carbon removals.”
Susi Farnworth, Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), at EngineeringUK, said:
“We’re delighted the Drax Foundation are supporting us with rolling-out our much-loved Big Bang at School programme to more schools around the country. Their donation will help to encourage hundreds more young people, from all backgrounds, to develop a passion for STEM and to consider engineering and technology as a career option.”
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About Drax
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.
Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com
Power generation:
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.
Having converted Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.
Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan.
The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.
Pellet production and supply:
The Group has 19 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year.
Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.
Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.
Customers:
Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.
To find out more go to the website energy.drax.com
To find out more information about the Drax Foundation go to the website www.drax.com/community
