- The group was joined by the Counsellor of Energy and Infrastructure for the British Embassy in Tokyo, among other officials from the UK Department for Business and Trade, and industry leaders.
- Drax is committed to its growth in Japan and Asia, supporting the decarbonisation of the region and providing a dispatchable, renewable energy option.
A delegation of officials from the British Embassy in Tokyo and Japanese industry have been welcomed to Drax Power Station – the country’s single-largest generator of renewable electricity. The group included the British Embassy in Tokyo’s Counsellor on Energy and Infrastructure as well as a delegation of Japanese supply chain partners, customers, and industry representatives.
The group met with Vaughan Bassett, Senior Vice President of Biomass Sales and Logistics at Drax, to learn more about Drax’s operations and conversion to sustainable biomass – a radical move that transformed the business into Europe’s largest single-site decarbonisation project. They were also interested in Drax’s global leadership in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – including plans for BECCS at Drax to permanently remove eight million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year by 2030, whilst supporting the creation of a new global industry in the UK, delivering tens of thousands of jobs in a new green economy.
The delegation included officials from the British Embassy in Tokyo, the UK Department for Business and Trade, NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers – a dry bulk carrier and current charter vessel supplier to Drax, Sumitomo Corporation – a major Japanese trading company and current customer of Drax, and a major Japanese utility currently using biomass.
Vaughan Bassett, Senior Vice President of Biomass Sales and Logistics at Drax said,
“We were thrilled to welcome today’s delegation from Japan so they could see the benefits of sustainable biomass first hand.”
“At Drax Power Station, we have reduced our fossil fuel emissions by around 99% in the last decade as a result of our conversion from coal to sustainably sourced biomass and have plans to become carbon negative with BECCS. We believe BECCS has a vital role to play in future on the journey to Net Zero, and we hope the group will take away the learnings and confidence to aid in their expansion of sustainable biomass and BECCS in Japan.”
Over the last decade, Japan has made substantial progress in developing an efficient, resilient, and sustainable energy system, however it is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. To achieve its aim of carbon-neutrality by 2050 the country will need to accelerate the development of low-carbon technologies, address regulatory and institutional barriers and further enhance competition in its energy markets.
Umair Choudhry, Energy and Infrastructure Counsellor for the British Embassy in Tokyo said,
“It was inspiring to visit Drax Power Station and have the opportunity to take in the scale and ambition of the operation.”
Drax is committed to its growth in Japan and Asia with an ambitious target of doubling the sale of sustainably sourced biomass in Japan, supporting decarbonization and providing a safe, stable renewable energy option.
Global policy support is increasing for BECCS which Drax believes will become a world leading solution for large-scale carbon removals. Drax aims to be a global leader in BECCS and is advancing plans for global BECCS sites.
Drax has identified its first preferred site for new-build BECCS in the US South and has over ten more potential sites under evaluation. The UK Government has also confirmed its commitment to support the deployment of large-scale Power BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) projects by 2030.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Sloan Woods
Media Manager
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T: 07821665493
Picture Caption:
- Japanese industry and diplomatic officials stand alongside Drax colleagues in the Drax Power Station Visitors’ Center in Selby, York.
Editor’s Notes:
- Drax Group, the world’s leading producer and user of sustainable biomass, aims to increase its wood pellet production capacity from 5 million tonnes a year to 8 million tonnes a year by 2030, supporting global efforts to displace fossil fuels and decarbonise energy systems.
- Drax is committed to its growth in Japan with a dedicated Tokyo-based team of biomass experts and an ambitious yet achievable target of doubling the sale of sustainable biomass.
- Drax sees Japan as a potential market leader in Asia and beyond, supporting decarbonization and providing a safe, stable renewable energy option.
- As a supplier of sustainable biomass pellets to customers in Asia and Europe, and with more than a decade of experience in converting the UK’s biggest coal-fired power station to use sustainable biomass, Drax is uniquely placed to support Japan as it further decarbonises its economy and energy system.
- Drax is also pioneering bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), an essential carbon removals technology which provides renewable energy while also permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- The transition to biomass not only supports the development of renewable energy but it also unlocks future BECCS projects in Japan which can utilize Japan’s technological expertise in carbon removals – driving innovation and securing high-quality jobs.
- Long term policy support is needed for successful coal to biomass conversions and BECCS.
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 www.energy.drax.com
