Archives: Press Release

World-leading engineering team appointed to Drax’s Cruachan Expansion Project

31 October 2024

News

Drax is progressing an option to expand its existing Cruachan pumped storage facility in Scotland through the construction of a new 600 MW power station. Built adjacent to the existing underground plant, the new power station would effectively more than double the site’s total generation capacity to more than 1 GW.

Pumped storage plants act like giant water batteries by using reversible turbines to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, which stores excess power from sources such as wind farms when supply outstrips demand. These same turbines are then reversed to bring the stored water back through the plant’s turbines to generate power when the country needs it. This process both strengthens energy security and enables the grid to decarbonise.

COWI and PINI will provide dedicated support through the project’s Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase, with their expertise in pumped storage hydro being used in areas such as civil and marine engineering, geotechnics, mechanical and electrical systems. Both firms have a strong track record in hydro developments around the world.

Steve Marshall, Drax’s Development Manager for the Cruachan Expansion project, said: “We are delighted to welcome two world-leading engineering consultancies to our project, helping us move forward with the new power station’s design.

“A new generation of pumped storage hydro plants will strengthen the UK’s energy security through enabling more homegrown renewable electricity to come online, cutting the need to import power or fossil fuels from abroad.

“Projects such as Drax’s will not only be good for the grid, but it will also offer fantastic opportunities for local communities and businesses. Expanding Cruachan will be a major infrastructure project which will create jobs and provide a real boost to Scotland’s economy.”

During the construction phase, the expansion of Cruachan is expected to support around 1,100 jobs across the UK and contribute a potential £470m to the economy. It would be one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Scotland in a generation.

Andy Sloan, Managing Director, COWI in the UK, said: “COWI is thrilled to support Drax on this vital project and continue to play a key role in the revival of pumped storage in Scotland. This project allows us to apply our expertise in rock mechanics and tunnel engineering to a renewable energy initiative.

“Hydroelectric developments offer tremendous potential for addressing long-term energy storage needs, paving our way to a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.”

Pierluigi Nionelli, Head of Business Line Hydropower, PINI Group, said: “The expansion of Cruachan will make a crucial contribution to the energy transition process in Scotland. Our Hydropower Business Line is dedicated to developing cutting-edge solutions for the sector on a daily basis.

“We are therefore truly honored to be able to transfer our know-how and skills, developed over the years across Europe, South America, Asia, and Oceania, to a project like Cruachan.”

The appointment of the joint venture comes just a few weeks after the UK Government confirmed it would be moving ahead with a new investment framework to support long duration electricity storage technologies, including pumped storage hydro.

In addition to the proposed construction of a new plant, Drax is currently progressing an £80 million major refurbishment of its existing Cruachan site. The refurbishment will see original parts replaced and the generating capacity of the power station upgraded from 440 MW to 480 MW.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr, Senior External Affairs Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

Editor notes

  • Drax’s plans to build a new 600 MW pumped storage hydro plant at Cruachan was granted development consent through the Section 36 process from the Scottish Government in July 2023.
  • Cruachan was constructed over a six-year period by a large workforce of 1,300 men, affectionately known as the Tunnel Tigers. But before they could build the power station inside the mountain, they had to drill and blast into it. The men used handheld air drills to bore holes in the solid granite rock, which were then packed with gelignite and blasted.

About Drax

Drax’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Our strategic aims are to be a global leader in both carbon removals and sustainable biomass pellet production, and to be a UK leader in dispatchable, renewable generation.

Our operations

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable UK power assets – biomass, hydro, and pumped storage generation – which provide dispatchable power and system support services to the electricity grid.

We are the UK’s largest source of renewable power by output, and Drax Power Station is the UK’s largest single source of renewable electricity by output.

Through our pellet production facilities in North America, Drax is the world’s second largest producer of sustainable biomass. Drax has 18 operational and development pellet production sites which will have a nameplate capacity of around 5.4 million tonnes once expansions are complete.

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK industrial and commercial customers, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.

Our future

Drax is progressing options for carbon removals using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology globally and at our UK biomass power station. We are progressing plans to develop 7 million tonnes of carbon removals through BECCS by 2030.

In 2024, we launched Elimini, a US-based company to lead our global efforts to deliver carbon removals at megaton scale. Elimini’s purpose is to remove carbon for good. To achieve this, it is convening engineers, environmentalists, communities, investors, and innovators to scale the market for carbon removals, with the aspiration of transforming our economies from carbon emitters to carbon removers. For more information, visit elimini.com.

Drax provides £1m funding for groundbreaking Smart Green Shipping project

22 October 2024

News

Renewable energy leader Drax Group (Drax) and Smart Green Shipping are partnering on a groundbreaking project, to develop and use innovative wind-assisted ‘FastRig’ technology, which will be used to help decarbonise the shipping sector.

The project will see Drax inject £1m into the initiative, matched by funding from the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) grant, which will see Smart Green Shipping’s, lightweight, retractable wingsail, installed on a vessel, with a view to demonstrating how the technology can reduce fuel consumption and resulting emissions by up to 30% per year.

Smart Green Shipping is currently undertaking sea trials of FastRig on one of Nuclear Transport Solutions’ specialist vessels, the Pacific Grebe – a purpose-built ship designed to carry nuclear cargo around the world safely. The sea trials will conclude by the end of October and will provide Smart Green Shipping with accurate, independently verified performance data.

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping contribute around 3% of all global emissions, having risen 20% over the last decade. An earlier feasibility study conducted in partnership with Drax demonstrated potential fuel savings on ships equipped with FastRig of up to 30% per year on transatlantic routes.

If the latest demonstration is successful, work to install the technology on a commercial biomass vessel can begin, helping to decarbonise this hard-to-abate sector. The technology could also prove vital to further reducing supply chain emissions from the bulk transport of Drax’s sustainable biomass, which is used to produce around 8% of Britain’s renewable power.

Drax aims to become a carbon negative company by 2030 by installing Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) at Drax Power Station, in Yorkshire. The power station has already been transformed by using sustainable biomass instead of coal, and the application of BECCS could enable Drax to further reduce its emissions by permanently removing up to eight million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

Drax’s investment in the project will also be used to develop Smart Green Shipping’s suite of wind-assist solutions. This includes FastRoute, an industry-first digital system co-created with the University of Southampton, that combines artificial intelligence with high-performance computing to analyse weather data and optimise routes for ships equipped to harness wind power. Using historical and forecast weather data, FastRoute accurately predicts how FastRig will perform, optimising journeys for FastRig-enabled ships and giving investors confidence in fuel savings. Research shows that optimised weather routes significantly reduce fuel usage and GHG emissions.

Diane Gilpin, CEO and founder of Smart Green Shipping said: “Wind is abundant, free, and exclusively available to any ship equipped to use it. Modern 21st century easily retrofittable wing sails lower the cost of propelling ships, which reduces the dependency on commodity-based fuels – whether fossil or alternative fuels – and improves supply chain certainty. Smart Green Shipping shares a joint mission with Drax Group to use renewables to move renewables. We are immensely grateful for the support from Drax Group to create seamless and easy-to-access wind solutions for cargo owners and ship owners. The first commercial installation of FastRig is incredibly exciting and an important milestone as we derisk the transition to wind for the whole shipping ecosystem.”

Miguel Veiga Pestana, Chief Sustainability Officer at Drax said: “Smart Green Shipping’s technology represents a landmark moment for the maritime energy transition and Drax is proud to provide this funding, which re-affirms our commitment to becoming a carbon-negative business by 2030. We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership as we work together on this exciting project, which could allow us to significantly reduce emissions from the shipping of sustainable biomass, and help to decarbonise a crucial part of our global supply chain.”

Maritime Minister, Mike Kane said: “Reducing shipping emissions is vital if we’re going to decarbonise the sector and achieve our mission of becoming a Clean Energy Superpower. It’s fantastic to see Government funding making a difference, and we will continue to support UK industry to deliver a cleaner, greener sector and develop the smart technologies of the future.”

ENDS

Media contact:
Kieran Wilson
E: [email protected]
T: 07729092807

Image credit: NTS/Smart Green Shipping

Editor notes

  • Drax plans to install Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage at its power station in Yorkshire by 2030, allowing Drax to remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst producing renewable power and creating up to 10,000 jobs.
  • Drax Power Station plays an important role in UK energy security, contributing around 4% of the country’s total power and 8% of its renewable electricity.
  • Leading climate scientists and energy experts at the UK Climate Change Committee, UN IPCC and National Grid all recognise that BECCS is essential for reaching net zero.
  • The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated in its review of Maritime Transport 2023 that maritime trade is expected to grow 2.4% in 2023 and more than 2% between 2024 and 2028.
  • The report also states that without action, emissions could reach 130% of their 2008 levels by 2050.
  • Drax reports its supply chain emissions in its Annual Report, which is independently audited.

About Smart Green Shipping:

Smart Green Shipping unlocks wind power for the shipping industry by building and financing autonomous, retrofittable wind technologies to help reduce carbon emissions by 30%. The first product in the suite, FastRig – a 100% recyclable wingsail – is undergoing at-sea trials with NTS in October 2024 in a project part-funded by the UK Government. Smart Green Shipping works closely within the shipping ecosystem, including cargo owners Drax, shipowners MOL, Ultrabulk, NTS and has received support and investment from Scottish Enterprise. Its technical team comprises Humphreys Yacht Design, Houlder, Malin Group, Caley Ocean Systems, Argo Engineering, Lloyd’s Register and the University of Southampton.

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

Drax welcomes Government’s progress on unlocking pumped storage hydro investment

10 October 2024

News

The UK Government’s confirmation of a cap and floor regime as the investment framework for new large-scale, long-duration electricity storage projects has been welcomed by renewable energy leader Drax.

Despite their critical role in decarbonisation, a gap in energy policy support has hindered the development of new pumped storage hydro plants for a generation. No new plants have been built in the UK since 1984, leaving the country to fall behind international competitors.

Drax is progressing an option to expand its existing Cruachan pumped storage facility in Scotland through the construction of a new 600 MW plant. Built adjacent to the existing underground plant, the new power station would effectively more than double the site’s total generation capacity to more than 1 GW.

During the construction phase, the project is expected to support around 1,100 jobs across the UK and contribute a potential £470m to the economy. It would be one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Scotland in a generation.

Pumped storage plants act like giant water batteries by using reversible turbines to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, which stores excess power from sources such as wind farms when supply outstrips demand. These same turbines are then reversed to bring the stored water back through the plant’s turbines to generate power when the country needs it. This process both strengthens energy security and enables the grid to decarbonise.

Ian Kinnaird, Drax’s Scottish Assets Director, said: “Today’s announcement is a critical step forward to removing one of the key hurdles developers face in building a new generation of pumped storage hydro plants. I would like to thank the new Government for moving at speed to do this within their first 100 days in office.

“Pumped storage stabilises the electricity system, helping to balance supply and demand through storing excess power. When Scotland’s wind turbines are generating more power than we need, Drax’s Cruachan steps in to store the renewable electricity so it doesn’t go to waste.

“We look forward to working constructively with the UK Government and other stakeholders on the next steps of this process so we can deliver in partnership a clean power system by 2030 which strengthens our energy security and delivers for consumers.”

In addition to the proposed construction of a new plant, Drax is currently progressing an £80 million major refurbishment of its existing Cruachan site. The refurbishment will see original parts replaced and the generating capacity of the power station upgraded from 440 MW to 480 MW.

ENDS

Media contacts:
Aidan Kerr, Senior External Affairs Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

Editor notes

  • Drax’s plans to build a new 600 MW pumped storage hydro plant at Cruachan was granted development consent through the Section 36 process from the Scottish Government in July 2023.
  • A report by KPMG for Drax found that a Cap & Floor regime was the standout solution to unlock private investment in the technology while incentivising system needs to be met efficiently.

Picture perfect – Photo exhibition for Drax Power Station’s golden anniversary

1 October 2024

News

Renewable energy leader Drax is marking 50 years since Drax Power Station began generating electricity with a brand-new public exhibition at Selby Abbey.

The exhibition, Drax Power Station: Powering Britain for 50 Years, celebrates the unique history of the power station, exploring the crucial role it plays in the UK’s power system and the positive impact it has made on local communities over the years. The exhibition also looks ahead at plans to make the power station the world’s largest engineered carbon removals plant by installing Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technology.

The exhibition features photos from the construction of the power station which started in 1967, along with pictures of the finishing touches being applied to its iconic cooling towers, the control room, and its four biomass storage domes which can each hold 80,000 tonnes of compressed wood pellets.

Drax Power Station began the transition from coal-fired power to sustainable biomass generation in 2003 and following the decommissioning of its remaining coal units it is now the UK’s biggest renewable power source by output.

Drax’s BECCS plans will allow Drax Power Station to continue to play a critical role in supporting UK energy security and would enable it to remove approximately 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year when fully operational.

Bruce Heppenstall, Drax Plant Director, said: “Drax Power Station has stood as an iconic landmark on the North Yorkshire skyline for 50 years and provides power for over four million homes and businesses, whilst contributing £358 million to the local economy and supporting 2,500 jobs.

“This exhibition of photos from the proud history of our power station embodies the collective spirit of hard work and innovation of all those who have worked at the power station. It represents Drax’s crucial role in UK energy security and celebrating its transition from coal to sustainable biomass, and heralding an exciting future with BECCS, which we aim to use to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst generating renewable power.”

The exhibition is open to the public and runs from Saturday 28th September to Thursday 10th October at Selby Abbey. Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 12pm-4pm.

ENDS

Photo caption 1: Aerial view of Drax Power Station in 1975.

Photo caption 2: Construction of one of the cooling towers at Drax Power Station in the 1980s.

Photo caption 3: Drax Power Station control room in 1984.

Media contacts:

Kieran Wilson
E: [email protected] 
T: 07729092807

Editor 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 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

Introducing Elimini: New carbon removal leader launches at New York Climate Week

24 September 2024

News
  • Elimini has launched at New York Climate Week with ambition to deliver carbon removals at megaton scale and 24/7 renewable power
  • US-based company group has entered into 11 carbon dioxide removal deals with eight companies, two fiber option agreements, the establishment of an esteemed Advisory Council, and the creation of four knowledge collaborations to advance research and understanding in carbon dioxide removal technologies
  • More than 20 potential bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) sites under review in North America alone for potential BECCS facilities, with additional projects under consideration in six more countries
  • New independent research reveals 74 percent of Americans are concerned about climate change, with only 37 percent believing the government is doing enough to support the development of carbon removal technologies

Elimini, a new US-based business with an ambition to be a leader in carbon removals, has today been launched at Climate Week NYC. The company is dedicated to permanently removing carbon from the atmosphere while generating renewable, 24/7 power.

By advancing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in the United States and beyond, the new company will help meet soaring demand for both 24/7 renewable energy and high-integrity carbon removals. Nearly all realistic pathways to limit global warming to 1.5C and 2C require developing and deploying carbon removal technology at gigaton scale and tripling renewable energy capacity. Elimini will pair 24/7 renewable energy production with carbon capture technology through BECCS – the only technology that currently supports the delivery of both targets simultaneously.

The business has been launched as new research finds that 74 percent of Americans are concerned about climate change, with 56 percent believing the government should be doing more to support the development of carbon removal technologies – and for those already familiar with these technologies, that number jumps to 72 percent, suggesting that familiarity directly drives increased favorability.

Elimini’s purpose is to remove carbon for good. To achieve this, it is convening engineers, environmentalists, communities, investors, and innovators to scale the market for carbon removals, with the aspiration of transforming our economies from carbon emitters to carbon removers. As an independently operated, wholly owned subsidiary within Drax Group, Elimini will also sell carbon removals generated at Drax Power Station, which conducted the first BECCS pilot of its kind in Europe and with the right government support will convert that facility to BECCS.

Will Gardiner, Elimini Executive Chair and Drax Group CEO said: “Carbon removals are desperately needed to reverse the legacy emissions warming our planet – and that industry represents more than a $1 trillion opportunity once it reaches gigaton scale. Elimini will have the focus and agility needed to become a leader in the maturing carbon market, rapidly advancing high-quality carbon removals and renewable energy production at global scale.”

Today, Elimini announced the following:

Investment from first-mover climate leaders

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) offtake agreements with:

And the conversion of two previous MOUs with C-Zero Markets to offtakes with Elimini.

Plus, brokerage agreements with:

An Advisory Council formed of experts from across the carbon removals value chain

Established to help Elimini shape the company’s strategy and hold it true to its purpose and values. Comprised of experts with diverse backgrounds who share our commitment to removing carbon for good:

  • David Hill, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New York Independent System Operator and Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. Previously, he was Executive Vice President & General Counsel of NRG Energy and served as the US Department of Energy General Counsel.
  • Miranda Ballentine, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment, and Energy) and Founding CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association; currently serving as Senior Advisor at Green Strategies, and as a Board Member and Independent Practitioner to clean energy organizations.
  • Melissa Lott, Professor, Climate School, Columbia University.
  • Freddie Davis, Director of the Rural Training and Research Center at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives.
  • Rajiv S. Joshi, Founder of Bridging Ventures and former Executive Director of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), the world’s largest civil society alliance, launched by Nelson Mandela, working to end poverty and inequality.

Knowledge collaborations

We’ partnering with innovative institutions to push the boundaries of carbon capture technology, including:

Biomass supply partners

Manulife Investment Management and Molpus Woodlands have signed options to provide sustainably sourced woody biomass to fuel Elimini’s BECCS operations in the US Southeast.

The Forest Landowners Assistance Program

Elimini will launch a new program for local, family-owned, or underserved landowners to receive assistance with managing their forests and providing feedstocks for BECCS facilities that will meet Elimini’s high sustainability standards.

The selection of its Owner’s Engineer to support the development of its first BECCS facility in the US 

Elimini has selected engineering firm Sargent & Lundy as the owner’s engineer to support with the development of a BECCS project in the United States. Full scale development is underway at our most advanced site for our first greenfield BECCS project.

Once fully operational, the 300-megawatt generation project will produce two terawatt hours of renewable energy while capturing 3Mt of CO2 annually – the equivalent of the average annual emissions of 100 commercial airliners.

Laurie Fitzmaurice, Elimini President said: “Elimini is entering the market at a critical time for our planet and the global economy, when unprecedented demand for power threatens to extend the world’s dependence on coal and other fossil fuels. By advancing BECCS and other carbon removal technologies in the United States and beyond, we will provide organizations and governments with realistic alternatives to power their communities and businesses while staying on track to achieve their climate commitments.”

David Hill, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New York Independent System Operator and Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy said, “Elimini’s stated purpose is to remove carbon for good. As a member of the Advisory Council, I look forward to working with the company as it seeks to address some very interesting and exciting opportunities.”

“Solving climate change will require many technologies, including a critical set of net-zero and net-negative power plants that are needed to supply the global economy with reliable, affordable, and clean electricity,” said Dr. Melissa Lott, Professor, Climate School, Columbia University. “It is exciting to see Elimini step fully into this space at this critical time in global efforts to deploy technologies at the speed and scale that is needed to reduce emissions and protect the health of our communities.”

Walid Rechache, Co-Founder and CEO at Holborn Trading said, “We are excited and proud to support Elimini on their carbon removal initiative. Holborn Trading is invested because we believe in securing a sustainable future. By supporting innovative solutions like decarbonization technologies and projects including carbon dioxide removal, we’re not just offsetting emissions – we’re actively restoring the balance of our planet’s atmosphere, ensuring a healthier environment for generations to come.”

Read more about our new company, team, and the latest research here.

Over 100 businesses attend Cruachan Expansion event

18 September 2024

News
  • Event held in Oban, Argyllshire to give local communities, businesses and prospective suppliers the opportunity to find out more about the groundbreaking Cruachan Expansion Project.
  • New 600MW underground pumped storage hydro power station at Cruachan will more than double the sites’ electricity generating capacity.

Renewable energy pioneer Drax has welcomed over 100 businesses, prospective suppliers and local communities to an event for the planned expansion project at Cruachan Pumped Storage Hydro Power Station.

Organised in collaboration with NOF, a not for profit UK membership organisation helping to connect businesses in the global energy sector, the event took place at the historic Argyllshire Gathering Halls and provided an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the wider benefits the Cruachan Expansion Project will deliver, not just across Argyll and Bute, but across Scotland and the UK.

The project will see the development of a new underground pumped storage hydro plant located immediately east of the existing Cruachan Power Station on the northern shores of Loch Awe. The new plant will provide an additional 600MW of generation capacity, which would more than double the current site’s generating capacity to over one gigawatt, enough to power two million homes.

Opened back in 1965, the site has been supplying and absorbing excess power to the grid, acting as a ‘green battery’ by storing low-carbon energy when there is over supply and releasing it when demand is high. The ‘Hollow Mountain” as Cruachan is known, took six years to construct, with a 4,000-strong workforce who drilled, blasted and cleared the rocks from the inside of the mountain. These brave workers came to be known as ‘Tunnel Tigers’ and were pivotal in the construction of the power station and dam at the site.

Although designed when nuclear or coal-fired plants powered the grid, Cruachan’s technology remains at the cutting edge of pumped hydro storage. Cruachan now helps to balance more a volatile supply and demand as a result of the shift towards renewables and low-carbon energy sources in the 21st century.

During the construction phase, the expansion project is expected to support around 1100 jobs across the UK and contribute a potential £470m to the economy. Once fully constructed, the Cruachan expansion will be the first pumped storage hydro plant to be constructed in the UK since 1984.

Steve Marshall, Development Manager at Drax said: “We are delighted to engage with suppliers, businesses and local residents as we continue on the journey to expand the Pumped Storage Hydro Station at Cruachan. We want British businesses to be at the front and centre of our plans for the expansion, which will contribute millions to the local economy and help to support over 150 jobs in the area. We hope this event has educated and inspired those in attendance as we look forward to an exciting future for Cruachan.”

Joanne Leng MBE, Chief Executive of NOF, said: “NOF was delighted to work in partnership with Drax to deliver the Cruachan Expansion project event recently in Oban. To see such an amazing turn out from local businesses, stakeholders and individuals demonstrated the level of keen interest in the project. Feedback on the event so far has been extremely encouraging and to see Drax engaging so early with interested parties is exemplary.”

The expansion project, which secured development consent from the Scottish Government back in 2023, has progressed into the design phase through the development of front-end engineering and design (FEED), with Voith Hydro appointed to act as the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for the mechanical and electrical components of the plant in July 2024.

Media contacts:

Kieran Wilson
E: [email protected]
T: 07729092807 

About Drax:

Drax Group’s (Drax) 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 c.3,500 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 four 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the 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

Power surge: UK spends £250 million each month importing record volumes of electricity from Europe

9 September 2024

News

A record 20% of the country’s electricity demand was met by imports from Europe during the second quarter of 2024. Imports accounted for more than double the volume of power generated by the country’s solar panels, and even nearly overtook gas the first time ever. The UK’s imported power is brought ashore through a series of underwater cables known as interconnectors.

Britain has imported electricity from abroad since 1961 but changing power grids and trading rules has led to a sharp rise both in the number of interconnectors, and the volume of power flowing into the country in recent years. During the second quarter of 2024, Britain imported 12.2 TWh, while exports were just 3 TWh.

The findings have been released as part of the next instalment of the quarterly Drax Electric Insights report. The publication is an independent report by academics from Imperial College London commissioned by Drax through Imperial Consultants.

Gross electricity imports and exports as a share of British electricity demand each quarter

“Much of Britain’s conventional power generators like coal and nuclear stations have retired in recent years,” explained Dr Iain Staffell of Imperial College London, and lead author of the quarterly Drax Electric Insights report series. “Fewer dispatchable generators means less competition and higher prices, making cheaper electricity from the continent much more attractive to import. The government must be mindful of the need to retain sufficient dispatchable generation capacity on our system for both energy security and affordability reasons as it works towards its ambition of having a clean power grid by 2030. Britain is always going to need weather-proof sources of power to keep the lights on.”

He continued: “There’s been a huge rise in the volume of solar power capacity installed on the continent. Germany has installed 14 times as much solar capacity in the last three years as the UK to cut its reliance on Russian gas. That means in spring and summer months there is often an abundance of cheap electricity on the continent which the UK can import.”

While some may see this increasing reliance on imports as a risk to energy security, Dr Staffell thinks these interconnectors will increasingly be used by the UK to export power as the renewables revolution takes hold here.

“As long as we maintain sufficient homegrown, dispatchable generation on the system then interconnectors can actually strengthen our energy security. The new government wants to make Britain a clean energy superpower, and if we achieve the scale of installed renewables that is being talked about, we simply won’t be able to use all of the power we generate here in the UK,” he said. “Being able to either store this power at home through more storage capacity or selling it abroad is an attractive proposition. During periods of high winds in the North Sea but calmer weather on the continent, exporting power could be potentially lucrative for the UK and help to lower bills for consumers here.”

One of the newest interconnectors helping to supply record volumes of imported power is the North Sea Link project which links Britain to Norway. It started operations in 2021 and can transport 1.4 GWs of electricity – meaning that if it was a conventional power station, it would be Britain’s seventh largest by capacity.

The Scandinavian state has more than 1,200 hydro storage reservoirs and more than double the number of pumped storage hydro plants than the UK. This enormous hydro storage capacity is increasingly being used to balance out drops in supply from intermittent sources of electricity such as wind and solar farms.

The UK has just four pumped storage hydro plants despite the increasing need for enhanced storage capacity to manage an intermittent power grid. No new plant has been built in the country since 1984, with barriers to securing private investment leaving many potential projects in limbo.

Drax is currently progressing an £80 million upgrade to its Cruachan pumped storage facility in Scotland and has exciting plans to build a brand-new 600 MW plant adjacent to the existing site.

Ian Kinnaird, Drax’s Scottish Assets Director, said:

“As the UK becomes more reliant on wind and solar power, we will need other sources of electricity to keep the lights on when the wind doesn’t blow, or the sun doesn’t shine.

“At Drax, we believe a new generation of pumped storage hydro plants can play a pivotal role in enhancing UK energy security. With the right support from government, we can move forward with our plans to build the country’s first new pumped storage hydro plant in a generation at Cruachan. It’s an incredibly exciting project that will support almost a thousand jobs and leave the UK with a more secure energy grid.”

Read the full Q2 2024 Electric Insights report here.

ENDS

Notes to editor

  • Overall, Britain imported 12.2 TWh last quarter, more than the country’s nuclear output (10.7 TWh), and close to total production from fossil fuels (13.6 TWh). In comparison, exports were just 3 TWh.
  • The country spent £1.561 billion on electricity imports during Q2 2024.
  • Much of Britain’s conventional generation has retired in the last decade, with 18 GW of coal, 4 GW of nuclear, and 3 GW of gas power shutting down
  • Germany installed 28 GW of solar PV in the last three years, the Netherlands installed 14 GW, while the UK completed 2 GW.

Media contacts:

Kieran Wilson
E: [email protected]
T: 07729092807 

About Electric Insights

  • Electric Insights is commissioned by Drax and delivered by a team of independent academics from Imperial College London, facilitated by the college’s consultancy company – Imperial Consultants. The quarterly report analyses raw data made publicly available by National Grid and Elexon, which run the electricity and balancing market respectively, and Sheffield Solar.
  • Electric Insights Quarterly focuses on supply and demand, prices, emissions, the performance of the various generation technologies and the network that connects them.
  • The quarterly reports from the last four and a half years can be access at the new website electricinsights.co.uk alongside the interactive electricinsights.co.uk which provides data from 2009 until the present.
  • You can embed Electric Insight’s live dashboard on your website or blog to keep track of what’s happening in the power grid through a new widget.

About Drax:

Drax Group’s (Drax) 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 c.3,500 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 four 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the 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

Yorkshire gold – power station celebrates 50 years with train journey across iconic landmark

28 August 2024

News

Renewable power pioneer, Drax Group, unveiled the golden liveried Class 66 locomotive operated by GB Railfreight to mark the 50th anniversary of its eponymous power station near Selby, in North Yorkshire.

The train hauled 25 biomass wagons, including one with a matching golden wrap, across the famous Victorian viaduct on the scenic Settle-Carlisle line towards Tyne Dock, where they were filled with the sustainable biomass pellets the power station uses to generate enough reliable, renewable electricity to power four million UK homes.

Mark Gibbens, Head of Logistics at Drax said: “We are delighted to mark the 50th anniversary of Drax Power Station, and its role in keeping the lights on for millions of people in Yorkshire and the UK, through this train journey across the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct.

“Our partnerships with organisations such as GB Railfreight ensure that we can continue to contribute to the UK’s decarbonisation objectives and energy security with power from sustainable biomass.”

John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, said: “GB Railfreight has proudly supported Drax and the UK Government to produce low-carbon power for us all; driving jobs, warming homes and creating economic value across the country.

“To recognise the importance of our relationship with Drax and to celebrate their 50th anniversary, we gave them the perfect gift to mark the occasion – a gold locomotive.”

Drax has also commemorated its special anniversary with a series of charter trains that carried passengers around the Drax Power Station rail loop to raise money for charity.

The event, in partnership with GB Railfreight and others, raised over £30,000 for Martin House, a charity that provides hospice care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses across West, North and East Yorkshire.

GBRf’s Golden Locomotive 66301 was named “Drax Power Station 50” during the day by Drax Ops Director Bruce Heppenstall and two of the companies longest serving employees.  Along with the naming ceremony, passengers were transported around the power station and had the opportunity to see locomotives that have moved materials to Drax Power Station throughout its 50-year history.

Drax Power Station began producing power in 1974, and Yorkshire’s railways have played a critical role in the site’s supply chain and its continuing role in UK energy security.

When Drax opened it was the UK’s largest coal-fired power station and trainloads of coal were taken from the region’s mines to supply it. Today, the plant uses sustainable biomass, and the company’s rail freight partners transport the compressed wood pellets from ports across Northern England to Drax Power Station – the UK’s largest renewable power producer by output.

Drax currently holds a fleet of 255 IIA-D rail wagons, which were specially developed to transport biomass in 2014 and manufactured locally in Mansfield.

The conversion of the power station from coal to using biomass has paved the way for Drax to develop its plans to deploy the vital carbon dioxide removal technology, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – a technology which can permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to reverse the harmful effects of climate change.

Drax aims to install BECCS on two of its biomass generating units supporting the UK government’s ambition to have a net zero electricity system by 2030.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Kieran Wilson
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07729092807

Editor notes

Earlier this year the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, granted Drax a development consent order for its BECCS plans at Drax Power Station, marking a major milestone in the project’s delivery.

Drax Power Station contributes £358m per year to the economy of Yorkshire and the Humber, employing more than 700 people and supporting over 4,200 jobs in the area.

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

Bright sparks – Drax welcomes new generation of renewable energy engineers

27 August 2024

News

The talented youngsters are joining the company’s technical apprenticeship scheme at Drax Power Station, near Selby, in North Yorkshire. The plant is the UK’s single-largest generator of renewable power, producing enough renewable electricity for around four million homes.

The four-year programme gives new recruits the opportunity to gain expertise working alongside the world-class engineers at the power station. The plant has been transformed over the last decade as part of Europe’s largest decarbonisation project, swapping coal to generate renewable electricity using sustainable biomass.

Drax has ambitious plans to go even further in the years ahead, aiming to become carbon negative by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. The project would see the site capture up to 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

One of the apprentices who is excited to start her career at Drax is Keeley Sheldon, 17, from nearby Selby.

“I have a great interest in engineering and wanted to pursue this as my career,” she said. “I made an application to Drax knowing that this would be a great company to work for.”

Keeley isn’t fazed about entering an industry which has traditionally been dominated by men.

She added: “I know being female and going into this career will be a challenge which I’m looking forward to and to want to break the stereotype label and know Drax will be an excellent employer to help me do this. Drax is well known both locally and globally so being given this opportunity is amazing and I’m excited to get started and for my future in engineering.”

The apprentices beginning their careers at Drax Power Station this year are:

  • Joe Morgan 16 – Doncaster
  • Josh Afford 17 – Knottingley
  • Harris Kitchen 18 – Wakefield
  • Keeley Sheldon 17 – Selby
  • Charlie Haller 16 – Snaith

Bruce Heppenstall, Drax Power Station Plant Director, said:

“It was fantastic to welcome our latest group of apprentices to Drax Power Station. They are an extremely talented group of young people and I’m so pleased they have chosen to take their first steps in their engineering careers with Drax.

“The plant is pioneering carbon capture and storage technology and these young apprentices could one day be working at the world’s first carbon negative power station. By giving them the engineering skills today, we are ensuring they are ready to take full advantage of the opportunities of tomorrow.”

In addition to engineering roles, Drax also offers apprenticeships in business support areas such as HR, IT, and facilities departments.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Senior External Affairs Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

About Drax:

Drax Group’s (Drax) 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 c.3,500 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 four 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the 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