Archives: Press Release

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

Drax Power Station rail event raises £30,000 for children’s hospice

19 August 2024

News

In partnership with DB Cargo, GB Railfreight, Freightliner Heavy Haul, and the Branch Line Society, the rail event saw three unique passenger train services operate on the Drax Power Station loop on Saturday 17th August, a route which is ordinarily restricted to freight trains for the transportation of biomass.

Passengers were given the opportunity to ride onboard the special service, with each train using a different route around the power station and all profits from the event donated to Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Mark Gibbens, Head of Logistics at Drax said: “We are proud to partner with all of the main freight operators and the Branch Line Society for this historic charter rail event, to mark the Golden Anniversary of Drax Power Station.

“The weekend’s tours raised much needed funds for Martin House Children’s Hospice, a charity that is close to our hearts at Drax. Every year Martin House cares for more than 440 children and their families, as well as around 150 bereaved families, and events such as this allow them to continue their vital work in local communities.”

Michelle Ford, Regional Fundraising Team Manager at Martin House Children’s Hospice said: “We are absolutely delighted to have once again worked with Drax on this historic event, alongside the Charter Train Team.  We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing, invaluable support, which helps us to make a difference to the lives of so many children, young people and their families, when they need us most.  A huge thank you to everyone who has made this brilliant event possible, it means so much to all of us.”

Rail has played an important role in operations at DPS since the power station came online in 1974. Locomotives that have moved materials to the station throughout its 50-year history were also on display during the event. The event included naming ceremonies that took place at York Station and Hensall, where two of the current class 66 locomotives which supply Drax Power Station were named ‘Yorkshire Rose’ and ‘Drax Power Station 50’.

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.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Kieran Wilson
Media Manager
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

Drax Foundation donates £300k to combat UK fuel poverty

6 August 2024

News

The Drax Foundation, the corporate foundation of the renewable energy company Drax Group (Drax), has donated £300,000 to three organisations dedicated to addressing fuel poverty in the UK.

The new funding from the Foundation will help to support those affected by household energy insecurity in areas across the UK in which Drax operates.

Fuel Bank Foundation (£100,000):

The Fuel Bank Foundation is an independent charity that aims to support families who pay in advance for energy.

The grant will focus on extending the charity’s presence around the communities in which Drax operates. The funding will benefit around 3,600 people in 1,400 households who will receive crisis Fuel Bank financial help, alongside advice and support. The grant will also allow the scaling up of the Fuel Bank Foundation’s ‘Heat Fund’ which provides support for off-grid heated homes.

Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency (ALIenergy) (£100,000):

ALIenergy operates in the Argyll and Bute region of Scotland – home to Drax’s pumped hydro storage power station at Cruachan. The charity promotes sustainable energy use and renewable energy generation, to reduce carbon emissions and address fuel poverty.

The grant will provide the charity with funds to roll out its STEM Energy Education programme to cover the whole of Argyll and Bute. The programme aims to encourage school pupils to take up STEM subjects with STEM related activities and events The education scheme covers STEM subjects generally alongside a focus on energy efficiency, renewable and sustainable energy for secondary school pupils.

National Energy Action (NEA) (£95,000):

NEA is the national charity seeking to end fuel poverty, working across the UK with its sister charity Energy Action Scotland, to ensure that everyone can afford to live in a warm, dry home.

NEA will utilise funding from the Drax Foundation to develop and deliver an education programme across the UK in areas where both NEA and Drax operate. The programme will be primarily targeted at secondary schools, as well as schools and academies with alternative provisions, to provide young people with information about keeping warm and safe at home, how they can use energy wisely and how they can reduce CO2 emissions.

Shona King, Head of Community, Drax said: “These grants build upon the Drax Foundation’s strong record in supporting the communities where we operate. The £300,000 in grants for NEA, ALIenergy and Fuel Bank Foundation will help to address the critical issue of fuel poverty within the communities where we operate by providing education for school students, financial support for those in need and provisions for those in isolated off-grid homes.”

Drax Foundation funding is available for organisations ranging from smaller community-led projects to larger grants of up to £100,000 for established non-profit organisations.

Priority is 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. The Foundation is already accepting applications for 2024’s second round of funding.

The Drax Foundation is a donor advised fund administered by the Charities Trust (an independently registered charity with the UK Charity Commission, charity no. 327489

Editor notes:

Media contact

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

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 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

To find out more information about the Drax Foundation go to the website www.drax.com/community

About Fuel Bank Foundation

The Fuel Bank Foundation (FBF) is an independent charity that aims to support families who pay in advance for energy, typically via a prepayment energy meter and are at risk of self-disconnection or severe rationing or have self-disconnected. We also provide support to those not connected to the mains gas grid, and therefore, rely on unregulated fuels such as heating oil, LPG and wood.

We have developed a network of over 750 quality partners across the country who act as an entry point into Fuel Bank. A mix of national bodies and local, community-based organisations, they identify households in Fuel Crisis, that is where there is no money to fund energy and so the household is rationing what they use, or worse, living without. These families are referred into Fuel Bank, need verified and provided with sameback on and the gas reflowing by tea- We provide around 10 day’s worth of support which acts as the enabler for the relevant and easy-to-access energy advice we provide to give additional support and to lower household money spent on energy. The model reduces the propensity for referral into the fuel bank.

About National Energy Action

National Energy Action (NEA) is the national charity seeking to end fuel poverty. NEA works across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with our sister charity Energy Action Scotland, to ensure that everyone can afford to live in a warm, dry home. In partnership with central and local government, fuel utilities, housing providers, consumer groups and voluntary organisations, NEA carries out activities to address the causes and treat the symptoms of fuel poverty. These include:

  • Campaigning to ensure that the needs of fuel-poor households are recognised and addressed
  • Researching and analysing the causes and extent of fuel poverty and developing policies which will address the problem
  • Developing and managing demonstration projects – through the Innovation & Technical Department – that show innovative ways of tackling fuel poverty
  • Providing advice and guidance to installers on good practice in delivering energy efficiency services to lowincome households
  • Developing national qualifications and managing their implementation to improve practical work standards and energy advice quality NEA’s work encompasses all aspects of fuel poverty, emphasising the importance of greater investment in domestic energy efficiency. We believe passionately that everyone has the fundamental right to live in a warm, healthy, and affordable home, regardless of income or circumstance.

About Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency (ALIenergy)

ALIenergy works to promote sustainable energy use and renewable energy generation, to reduce carbon emissions and address fuel poverty.

Our vision is a world where everyone lives sustainably, carbon emissions have been cut to safe levels and no individuals live in fuel poverty without access to affordable energy.

Our goal is to improve public knowledge of, and engagement in, renewable energy and energy efficiency issues, so that more people take action in their lives to increase energy saving, become involved with renewable energy initiatives and move towards a sustainable, low carbon future.  Our mission is to promote sustainable energy use and generation to the benefit of individuals, communities and the local economy, and to combat fuel poverty. Our activities fall within three main areas: Affordable Warmth and Alleviating Fuel Poverty Education and Skills Development Community Renewables and Local Energy Economy

DB Cargo UK delivers HVO-powered services for Drax

5 August 2024

News

Drax Group, the UK’s leading producer of renewable energy, has taken the decision to switch to the 100% renewable fuel as part of its ongoing programme to reduce its carbon footprint.

DB Cargo UK, currently transports around 4.5 million tonnes of biomass pellets to Drax Power Station each year, operating around 60 trains a week – approximately 3,000 trains a year – to the site.

It is estimated that by switching from traditional red diesel to HVO will reduce rail freight carbon emissions by up to 90%, saving over 12,000 tonnes of carbon each year equivalent to 30 million miles worth of car journeys1.

The DB Cargo trains powered on HVO will provide around 57% of Drax’s total biomass, helping the global energy leader produce enough renewable electricity to power almost 2.3m homes, equivalent to all of the households in Yorkshire and the Humber.

HVO is marketed as ‘one of the world’s purest and greenest fuels.’ It is synthetically made through the hydro-treatment process from vegetable oils or animal fats which significantly reduces harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions when used in diesel vehicles and machinery.

It is derived from 100% waste products and no virgin products are used in its manufacture.

DB Cargo UK’s Chief Sales Officer Roger Neary said the decision by Drax to adopt the use of HVO in its trains was a win-win for both companies.

“The Government had set the rail industry a stretching target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and remove all diesel only traction by 2040 so the use of HVO in our trains will go a long way to helping us meet that challenge,” said Roger.

“At the same time, it will help Drax meet its own sustainability targets and minimise its impact on the environment,” added Roger.

Roger concluded that ‘Until a firm commitment is made to electrification of the UK network, HVO is the only credible solution to rail freight decarbonisation. More services could be operated with HVO if the right policies and incentives were in place to enable more customers to make the switch.’

Rail freight is critical to the power station’s supply chain, transporting large volumes of biomass pellets to the plant which produces around 8% of the UK’s renewable power.

Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax Power Station, said rail freight was already a more sustainable method of transporting the pellets than road, taking some 192,000 HGVs off the UK’s network each year.

“We are proud that DB Cargo’s HVO powered trains, service Drax Power Station. We are committed to decarbonising our supply chains and, through deploying the carbon removals technology, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, we aim to become a carbon negative business.

“Drax Power Station uses high volumes of biomass to keep the lights on for millions of homes across the UK. Rail freight is a cleaner and greener option for transporting this material and our partnership with DB Cargo prevents thousands of additional journeys by HGVs across the UK’s road network.”

1 Based on figures from Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

Media contacts:

Andy Low
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07841 068 415

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 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.

Drax launches new Ultrabulk ship, the ‘Ultra Yorkshire’, at ceremony in Japan

11 July 2024

News

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Drax Power Station beginning to generate power and to celebrate this occasion the owners of the new ship, Ultrabulk, invited Drax to name their latest vessel.

Drax selected the name in tribute to the county that is home to the power station.

Drax and Ultrabulk, the Danish-based leading global dry bulk operator, have a longstanding partnership. Ultrabulk is Drax’s largest freight provider and plays a key role in the company’s biomass supply chain, shipping sustainable wood pellets to Drax Power Station in the UK and to Japanese customers.

The m.v. ‘Ultra Yorkshire’ is a 40,000dwt bulk carrier and the launch ceremony was attended by representatives from Drax, Ultrabulk, the Shin Kirushima shipyard and a number of Japanese corporations.

Mr Yoji Maki, President of Shin Kurushima Kochijyuko Co.,Ltd., cutting the champagne cord to name the vessel.

Mark Gibbens, Drax Group’s Head of Logistics, said: “We are honoured that Ultrabulk allowed us to name the Ultra Yorkshire as part of Drax Power Station’s 50th anniversary celebrations. It was a privilege to participate in the launch ceremony of the new ship.

Mark Gibbens, Drax’s Head of Logistics, speaking at the launch ceremony.

“Drax Power Station has kept the lights on for millions of homes and businesses across the UK over the years and, following its conversion to biomass generation, companies in our supply chain like Ultrabulk have become critical to its continued operation. We are proud of our strong and longstanding relationship with Ultrabulk.”

Hans-Christian Olesen, Ultrabulk CEO said: “We are proud to celebrate the Drax Group and their 50th anniversary through the launch of the m.v. Ultra Yorkshire. This vessel is a great symbol of our long-standing partnership and shared commitment to sustainability and efficient logistics. We have always appreciated our close collaboration with Drax, and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership for many years to come.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

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

Drax Foundation funds installation of solar panels at Selby school

10 July 2024

News

Selby is home to Drax Power Station and the funding for the panels comes from a £4.5m pot that Foundation has put in place to support UK schools and community-led organisations to become more energy efficient.

The new solar panels were fitted by the specialist solar installation company, Low Carbon Energy, and they will help Barwic Parade save around £3,400 a year on their energy bills and reduce their carbon emissions by 4.4 tonnes per annum.

Drax Foundation has previously funded the installation of solar panels at Abington Vale Primary School, Northampton, and will be funding a similar project at Kirk Sandall Junior School in Doncaster later this Summer.

Jane Breach, Drax’s UK Community and Education Manager, said:

“The Drax Foundation continues to give back to the communities that Drax operates in. We are proud to have funded the installation of solar panels at Barwic Parade. This schools sits right on the doorstep of Drax Power Station in Selby.

“We are committed to being a good neighbour to people who live and work next to our sites and working with partners, like Low Carbon Energy, means we can help local schools and community organisations become more energy efficient and reduce their impact on the planet.”

Sarah Dixon, Barwic Parade Community Primary School’s Headteacher, said:

“We were delighted to receive the support from The Drax Foundation to install solar panels at Barwic Parade Community Primary School.

“This investment in our school not only makes it greener and more sustainable in terms of its energy usage but should also allow us to use our limited budget to enrich and enhance our children’s experiences.

“Given the school’s demographics, Drax’s donation means more than simply installing solar panels, indirectly their donation helps every single family in the Barwic Community. We are again, very grateful to receive the support of the Drax Foundation.”​

Media contacts:

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

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 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

To find out more information about the Drax Foundation go to the website www.drax.com/community

ENDS