A number of colleagues have been evacuated from the area and production at the Entwistle plant has been temporarily suspended. The site is currently unaffected by the fires and is being continually monitored to ensure it remains safe. Entwistle produces 1,200 tonnes of pellets per day. We are in constant contact with the emergency services and Drax is supporting relief efforts in the community.
Background
- Drax is reaching out to colleagues impacted by this event to assess what further support they require, and we can confirm there will be no pay interruptions for affected staff.
- Drax’s North America operations are strategically located in the U.S. and Canada, providing ready access to large tracts of responsibly managed working forests, modern infrastructure and an available workforce of trained loggers, wood haulers, plant operators and other critical specialties.
- The Entwistle plant can produce 400 Kt of sustainable biomass pellets each year, enabling its customers to generate renewable power and decarbonise their energy grids.
***UPDATE***
The mandatory evacuation order for Entwistle and all residents in Parkland County was lifted on 8th May at 5:00 pm.
The county says it is now safe for residents to return home, but that the situation could change quickly. Crews are still actively fighting the wildfire in the area and residents could be asked to evacuate again.
The plant remains offline. Fire crews continue to fight fires in the surrounding areas and our team will continue to monitor the plant around the clock. As always, the safety of our team is our top priority.
