- Launch of Drax Foundation to provide grant funding for non-profit organisations in the UK, USA and Canada, where Drax operates
- Focus areas: STEM education and skills development, and improving community green spaces
- Priority will be given to organisations that deliver for under-served and under-represented groups, advance gender equality and support indigenous communities
The Foundation is a key part of Drax’s community strategy, which is focussed on ensuring that the business delivers a positive impact in the communities where it operates.
Drax Foundation will fund initiatives that support education and skills development in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces and enhance biodiversity within local communities. Funding will be available for organisations ranging from smaller community-led projects to larger grants of £50,000 for established non-profit organizations.
Priority will be given to organisations that deliver programmes for under-served and under-represented groups, advance gender equality and support indigenous communities.
Organisations and initiatives that meet Drax’s funding and selection criteria are encouraged to visit www.drax.com/community to learn more about the Foundation and submit an initial expression of interest.
Drax CEO, Will Gardiner, said:
“Launching the Drax Foundation is the start of an exciting new chapter in how we deliver positive social impact in the communities where we operate. Our ambition is to better support diverse organisations who are working hard to create the next generation of STEM students as well as those enhancing local green spaces and biodiversity.
“We are passionate about giving back to the communities we operate in and we are proud of our past philanthropic work. Alongside the new Foundation, and as part of our new community strategy, we are also going to be funding energy efficiency measures for community organisations in the UK, supporting foodbanks around the world and expanding our Communities in Crisis Fund. Combined this is a step change in the support we deliver for people, nature and the climate.”
This outlines how the renewable energy company is implementing its new approach to communities and it will also ensure that as the company grows it has an established platform to roll out and support local organisations.
ENDS
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Andy Low
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Editor’s Notes
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 18 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
