Archives: Press Release

Drax urges UK to seize the opportunities to build a zero carbon economy

5 March 2020

Press releases

Speaking at the British Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference in London on Thursday March 5, 2020, Clare Harbord Drax Group Director of Corporate Affairs said:

“By investing in the skills and new technologies needed to get the country to net zero, businesses can be world leading, creating new opportunities to develop and grow.”

Drax has announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030 by pioneering bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – a ground-breaking negative emissions technology which is essential if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

It is also spearheading a zero-carbon skills taskforce in the North, aimed at ensuring the region has a workforce which is ready to reap the rewards of a net zero economy.

Giving the keynote address at the British Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference in London, Clare Harbord said:

“Despite all of the challenges we face – this is a year of great opportunity for British business to take a world leading role in tackling the climate crisis.”

She added: “We can seize the opportunities of infrastructure and new technology and investment that will put our country and our businesses at the heart of a global green economy.”

Through the Zero Carbon Humber initiative, being delivered in partnership with National Grid Ventures and Equinor, Drax aims to establish the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040.

The Humber is the UK’s biggest industrial region employing 55,000 people in energy, manufacturing and engineering and as the most carbon intensive region in the country – taking steps to decarbonise the area would make a more significant impact on addressing the climate crisis than anywhere else in the UK.

“Our vision is to put the Humber back on the global stage as an example to the rest of the world of climate leadership in action, creating green jobs and clean growth,” she said.

“As the world’s attention turns to Glasgow and the COP26 conference this Autumn, there is no better time for government to show its support for British businesses and the British technology that is leading this fight.”

Read the full speech here. 

-ENDS-

Media contact:

Ben Wicks
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07761 525 662

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

Wakefield College visits Europe’s biggest carbon saving project

4 March 2020

Press releases
Wakefield College visits Europe's biggest carbon saving project

The group of 13 students aged between 16 and 18, visited Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, which has upgraded two thirds of its generating capacity to use compressed wood pellets in place of coal.

This has transformed the plant to become the UK’s largest renewable power generator – producing enough electricity for four million homes – and Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project.

It has also paved the way for Drax to pioneer ground-breaking bio energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. If BECCS can be used across all four of its biomass generating units, Drax could become the world’s first negative emissions power station, helping it to make an even greater contribution towards tackling the climate emergency.

Pupils were taken on a full tour of the site including the innovative BECCS pilot plant which is capturing a tonne of CO2 each day, the 427-metre turbine hall that houses the six huge turbines which power the generators to produce electricity.

They also enjoyed a close-up view of the UK’s first wood pellet storage domes, each large enough to fit The Royal Albert Hall inside, and the 12 cooling towers, which at 115 metres high are taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Drax Group’s Head of Business Sustainability, Vicky Bullivant, said:

“By providing tours at Drax Power Station we want to further students’ understanding of how electricity is produced and hopefully fire their imaginations and inspire them to study STEM subjects by showing them some of the pioneering technologies we’re trying, like BECCS, which could play a vital role in addressing the climate crisis.”

During the tour, pupils learnt how renewable electricity is generated and discovered how sustainable, compressed wood pellets have enabled Drax to reduce its carbon emissions by more than 80% compared to when those generating units used coal.

Nichola Bell, from Wakefield College, who organised the visit, said:

“The students had a great day at Drax, learning about how the electricity system works and where our electricity is generated. Visits like this are so valuable because seeing the power station and the scale of the operations is impossible to replicate in a classroom – it really brings the subject to life.”

Drax has a long tradition of supporting education and helping to inspire the engineers of the future by encouraging greater interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. Earlier this year it invested £35,000 in the GreenPower initiative involving seven local schools and colleges in building and racing electric vehicles.

The Wakefield College students are among over 12,000 visitors to Drax every year. Tours are free to all primary and secondary schools and can be tailored to suit the area of the curriculum teachers are interested in.

For further information on school tours at Drax visit the website at www.drax.com.

ENDS

Picture caption: Wakefield College students outside the biomass domes at Drax Power Station 

Media contact:

Lily Pettifar 
Drax Group Media Intern
E: lily.pettifar@drax.com
T: 07719 559 556

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

Drax donates £25,000 to help local communities affected by floods

29 February 2020

Press releases
View of Drax Power Station

Dozens of homes and businesses in Snaith and other nearby villages have been flooded after the River Aire burst its banks following severe rainfall in recent weeks.

The funds donated by Drax will be used to help flood victims recover from the events and ensure communities get the help that they need in the days and weeks ahead.

Drax CEO Will Gardiner said:

“The flooding experienced by communities across the region over the last week has been devastating. It’s important that those who have lost their home or business get the support that they need, and that’s why Drax is today donating £25,000 to help local flood recovery efforts. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by these events.”

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner in the control room at Drax Power Station. Click to view/download.

Drax Power Station is a major local employer in the area, employing around 900 people directly and supporting thousands of other jobs through its supply chains.

ENDS

Media contact

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
+44 (0)7849 090 368

Editor’s Notes

  • Drax has donated £25,000 to Snaith Priory who are helping coordinate support for this impacted by the floods.
  • Photo caption: Drax Power Station. View/download.
  • Will Gardiner visited Snaith on Saturday 29 February and met with its town clerk Vicky Whiteley (pictured, below).
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner discussing flood response with Vicky Whiteley, Town Clerk, Snaith, on Saturday 29 February 2020

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner discussing flood response with Vicky Whiteley, Town Clerk, Snaith, on Saturday 29 February 2020. Click to view/download.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner viewing flooding in East Yorkshire town of Snaith

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner viewing flooding in East Yorkshire town of Snaith. Click to view/download.

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

Drax to stop using coal well ahead of UK’s deadline

27 February 2020

Press releases
Coal pile at Drax Power Station, 2016.

  • Drax has announced that almost 50 years of power generation from coal at its power station in North Yorkshire, is expected to end next year – years in advance of the UK’s 2025 deadline

  • The decision is a landmark moment in the UK’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2050 and a major milestone towards delivering Drax’s world-leading ambition to become carbon negative by 2030

  • Drax is also spearheading a Zero Carbon Skills Taskforce to help people in the North gain the skills and expertise required to seize the opportunities as the UK moves towards a net zero carbon economy

Almost 50 years of coal-fired electricity generation at Drax Power Station is expected to come to an end in March 2021 – marking a major milestone in the company’s world-leading ambition to become carbon negative by 2030.

It means the country’s largest power station will stop using coal well ahead of the government’s 2025 deadline, making an even bigger contribution to the UK’s efforts to achieve net zero.

The decision to stop using coal at Drax comes after a comprehensive review of its operations. Drax does not expect to use coal after March 2021, but will ensure its two remaining coal units remain available until September 2022 in line with its existing Capacity Market agreements.

Drax CEO Will Gardiner said:

“Ending the use of coal at Drax is a landmark in our continued efforts to transform the business and become a world-leading carbon negative company by 2030. Drax’s journey away from coal began some years ago and I’m proud to say we’re going to finish the job well ahead of the Government’s 2025 deadline.”

Drax Power Station near Selby in North Yorkshire first started generating electricity using coal in the 1970s. Once the second half of the power station was built in the 1980s, it became the largest power station in the UK with the capacity to generate electricity for six million households.

Over the last decade four of the power station’s six generating units have been converted to use sustainable biomass, delivering carbon savings of more than 80% compared to when they used coal.

This has transformed Drax to become the UK’s largest renewable power generator and the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe.

Mr Gardiner said:

“By using sustainable biomass we have not only continued generating the secure power millions of homes and businesses rely on, we have also played a significant role in enabling the UK’s power system to decarbonise faster than any other in the world.

“Having pioneered ground-breaking biomass technology, we’re now planning to go further by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to achieve our ambition of being carbon negative by 2030, making an even greater contribution to global efforts to tackle the climate crisis.”

Stopping using coal at Drax will lead to a reduction in the workforce at the North Yorkshire power station. Trades Unions and employee representatives will be consulted over the coming months and support is being provided to those affected.

Coal pile and biomass storage domes, Drax Power Station, 2016

Coal pile and biomass storage domes, Drax Power Station, 2016. Click to view/download.

Drax is talking to the government, trades unions and industrial businesses across the North about joining with Drax in establishing a new Zero Carbon Skills Taskforce to help people in the region gain the skills and expertise required to seize new job opportunities as the UK moves towards a net zero economy.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner in the control room at Drax Power Station. Click to view/download.

Mr Gardiner added:

“Stopping using coal is the right decision for our business, our communities and the environment, but it will have an impact on some of our employees, which will be difficult for them and their families.

“In making the decision for the UK to stop using coal and to decarbonise the economy, it’s vital that the impact on people across the North is recognised and steps are taken to ensure that they have the skills needed for the new jobs of the future.”

Drax’s plans to develop BECCS means it could be the ‘anchor’ for the Zero Carbon Humber initiative which aims to bring industrial businesses together to make the region the first net zero industrial economy in the world.

The Humber is the UK’s biggest industrial region employing 55,000 people in energy, manufacturing and engineering and as the most carbon intensive region in the country – decarbonising here would make a more significant impact on addressing the climate crisis than anywhere else in the UK.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
[email protected]
+44 (0)7712 670 888

Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
+44 (0)7912 230 393

Editor’s Notes

Drax Group has reported profits of £410m in its 2019 Full Year Results published today.

The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, recently announced it was revoking an exclusion of Drax Group from its investments, recognising the company’s move away from coal to biomass, which delivers carbon savings of more than 80%.

The end of coal generation will lead to a reduction in the workforce at Drax Power Station of between 200 and 230 people from April 2021.

Drax’s decision to stop using coal is an important step in achieving its ambition to become carbon negative. This means that by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology, Drax will remove more carbon emissions from the atmosphere than are produced across all its operations, creating a negative carbon footprint for the company.

By using BECCS, Drax hopes to become the anchor for the UK’s first net zero industrial cluster in the Humber region, allowing other industrial emitters to capture and store carbon dioxide, protecting jobs, creating clean growth and export opportunities.

Drax is a member of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, an initiative launched by the UK and Canadian governments, which seeks to end the use of unabated coal in power stations around the world by 2030.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance wants to accelerate the transition away from unabated coal and Drax is supporting its work to encourage members to scale up their ambitions, and to create more collaboration, helping prospective new members to move forwards in using cleaner energy.

Drax supports STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education and employability initiatives in the communities local to its operations. In 2019 it recruited 18 apprentices across the Group including 13 at Drax Power Station. It also works with schools and colleges to deliver exciting STEM education opportunities and careers events and activities, which promote diversity and inclusion.

More than 9,500 people visited Drax Power Station in 2019, many of whom were students. The tours are free and are focused on learning outcomes.

Photo caption (main image): Coal pile at Drax Power Station, 2016. View/download.

Video: View/download 16:9; View/download 1:1.

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.

Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

Haven Power commits to help boost employability and skills for students in Ipswich

20 February 2020

Press releases
Haven Power commits to help boost employability and skills for students in Ipswich

Haven Power, one of Drax Group’s customer businesses which specialises in supplying businesses with renewable electricity, is working with The Careers & Enterprise Company and the New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network, to provide young people in the Ipswich Opportunity Area with access to lessons to provide them with essential skills such as interview techniques and CV writing, as well as work experience programmes, enabling them to make informed choices about their future.

In a nationwide ‘Social Mobility Index’ carried out in 2017, Ipswich ranked very low, coming in at 292 out of the 324 local authority areas. The index assessed the chances that a disadvantaged child (measured by eligibility for free school meals) will perform and get a job.

As a result, the town was selected by the Department for Education as one of 12 Opportunity Areas in England to receive an equal share of £72 million. The funding will deliver plans to build the knowledge and skills of local young people and provide them with the best advice and opportunities to progress in their career.

Part of the programme will focus on greater collaboration to bridge the gap between education and employers – an initiative Haven Power has committed to support.

Paul Sheffield, Managing Director of Drax’s customer businesses, including Haven Power, said:

“Drax is committed to supporting social mobility in the communities where we work, so we’re delighted to join the Cornerstone Employer programme. When businesses work together with community partners to boost education, it helps improve opportunities for people from all backgrounds to develop their careers and ensures the workforce of the future has the skills employers need. 

“Encouraging young people to study STEM subjects helps to ensure we have skilled and creative people who can develop the innovative, smart technologies needed to help businesses become more sustainable, and play an important role in addressing the climate crisis.”

Jordan Holder, Enterprise Coordinator for New Anglia LEP, said:

“I am thrilled that Haven Power are committing their time to supporting young people in Ipswich to have more meaningful encounters with the world of work. Haven Power is our first Cornerstone Employer to represent the energy sector in Ipswich and it’s crucial more young people are aware of the fantastic opportunities available to them on their doorsteps. 

“Haven have already gone above and beyond prior to becoming a Cornerstone Employer with supporting Ipswich Academy with two volunteer ‘Enterprise Advisers’ from the business. Additionally, they have supported a variety of activities at the school including funding a Greenpower racing car for the students to learn about STEM.” 

ENDS

Media contacts:

Jordan Holder
New Anglia LEP
E: [email protected]
T: 07860 833 252

Ben Wicks
Drax Group Media Manager (Customers)
E: [email protected]
T: 07761 525 662

Editor’s Notes

The New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network is a national programme being delivered at a local level across Norfolk and Suffolk, recruiting senior business leaders to work voluntarily with secondary schools and colleges as ‘Enterprise Advisers’. Enterprise Advisers work strategically with senior leaders in schools and colleges, supporting them to develop and enhance their business engagement plans. The aim, to improve the quality and consistency of careers, work related & enterprise education delivered to students and to broker activities with businesses and enterprise providers. The volunteers will bring their wealth of knowledge and experience of the world of work to help develop a comprehensive action plan for careers education, fully supporting young people between 11 and 18 years old.

The New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Programme has been developed from Lord Young’s ‘Enterprise for All’ report which highlighted the importance of “motivating young people to learn and excel in their education…to see the relevance of their studies”. With support from the national Careers and Enterprise Company, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership working through its partners in Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils is delivering this national programme across the East.

In 2017, Ipswich was identified as one of the lowest performing areas in England in a nationwide ‘Social Mobility Index’. The index assessed the chances that a disadvantaged child (measured by whether they are eligible for free school meals) will perform well and get a job. Ipswich ranked 292 out of the 324 local authority areas included.

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England. 

Customers:

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

Renewables revolution delivers decade of decarbonisation

17 February 2020

Press releases
Hand hold a light bulb on sunset background for saving energy and creative concept.

  • The transition to renewables led to a 107 million metric tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions from Britain’s power sector.

  • Sustainable biomass generated more power than solar energy and provided an outsize contribution to reducing emissions and wholesale power prices.

  • Decrease in power demand was the single biggest driver of emissions decline in the electricity sector in the past decade.

Over the period, carbon emissions in Britain’s power sector fell by around two thirds to 54 million metric tonnes in 2019 from 161 million tonnes in 2010 as the country’s generators shifted away from coal and natural gas to renewables such as sustainable biomass.

Electricity demand, which fell 13% over the decade, delivered around a third of the decline in carbon emissions in the sector over the period, while wind energy delivered a quarter of the reduction, according to an independent analysis by academics from Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights.

The fall in power demand came even as the population grew by 7% and GDP rose by a quarter as measures such as more energy efficient lighting, manufacturing and other efficiency measures took hold.

However, this decline could be reversed in the years ahead with the rise in the use of electric vehicles and household heat pumps, meaning further decarbonisation cannot be achieved through a reduction in demand alone.

The report warns that with the greater reliance on weather-dependent sources ‘system operability will undoubtedly become more difficult in the years to come’, with a need for increased system support services and greater flexibility.

Dr Iain Staffell of Imperial College London and lead author of the quarterly Electric Insights reports said:

“In the past decade, we’ve seen unprecedented changes in Britain’s power system, which has transformed at a speed never seen before.

“Several factors made significant contributions to falling emissions including carbon prices, coal retirements, conversions to biomass and the growth in wind capacity. But reductions in electricity demand dwarfed all the others – helping to push down power prices and environmental impacts.

“If this pace of change can be maintained, renewables could provide more than half Britain’s electricity by the end of this decade and the power system could be practically carbon free.”

Biomass provided a bigger reduction in emissions and wholesale power prices than solar power relative to the size of its installed capacity, according to the report.

Andy Koss, CEO Generation, Drax. Click to view/download in high res.

Andy Koss, Drax CEO of Generation, said:

“Replacing coal with sustainable biomass at Drax has cut our carbon emissions by more than 80%, transforming the business to become the largest renewable power generator in the UK, accelerating decarbonisation over the decade as well as supporting lower wholesale power prices.

“As the UK strives to achieve its world-leading net zero carbon target, it’s clear the power system will have to continue evolving and many different solutions, including negative emissions technologies like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), will be needed alongside more renewables.

“BECCS, which Drax is pioneering, has the potential to permanently remove 16 million tonnes of carbon a year from the atmosphere and help other sectors like aviation to reach net zero.”

Drax supplies 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity using sustainable biomass. Last year, the company set a world leading ambition to become carbon negative by 2030.

Carbon emissions saved per year in the last decade

Changes to wholesale power prices over the last decade

Media contacts

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849 090368

Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07912230393

Editor’s Notes

Decarbonisation facts over the past decade – from Electric Insights:

  • Great Britain’s power system has decarbonised faster than anywhere else in the world.
  • Emissions from electricity consumption fell by 64%.
  • Installed capacity of renewables in 2019 (38.5GW) was more than seven times higher than the installed base in 2010 (5.2GW).
  • Compared to 2010, biomass is now saving an annual nine million tonnes of carbon emissions and £2.8/MWh in wholesale prices versus six million tonnes and £2/MWh a year from solar.
  • Over the last decade, biomass produced 88.1 TWh compared to 59.86 TWh from solar despite the latter having a far greater installed capacity.

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 are backed by an interactive website electricinsights.co.uk which provides data from 2009 until the present.
  • Uniquely, Electric Insights provides real time data about the UK’s transmission grid as well as embedded wind and solar generation which is not available from other sources.
  • The Integrated Development of Low-Carbon Energy System (IDLES) research programme at Imperial College has developed computer models of the power system that can model different scenarios to understand the influence of separate factors such as carbon prices or increase in the volume of wind generation on the system.
  • IDLES was funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council. 

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

ENDS

Applefields School visits Europe’s biggest carbon saving project

11 February 2020

Press releases
Applefields Students during their visit to Drax Power Station

The group of seven students from Applefields School in York, visited Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, which has upgraded two thirds of its generating capacity to use compressed wood pellets in place of coal.

This has transformed the plant to become the UK’s largest renewable power generator – producing enough electricity for four million homes – and Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project.

It has also paved the way for Drax to pioneer ground-breaking bio energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. If BECCS can be used across all four of its biomass generating units, Drax could become the world’s first negative emissions power station, helping it to make an even greater contribution towards tackling the climate emergency.

Pupils were taken on a full tour of the site including the innovative BECCS pilot plant which is capturing a tonne of CO2 each day, the 427-metre turbine hall that houses the six huge turbines which power the generators to produce electricity.

They also enjoyed a close-up view of the UK’s first wood pellet storage domes, each large enough to fit The Royal Albert Hall inside, and the 12 cooling towers, which at 115 metres high are taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Drax Group’s Head of Business Sustainability, Vicky Bullivant, said:

“By providing tours at Drax Power Station we want to further students’ understanding of how electricity is produced and hopefully fire their imaginations and inspire them to study STEM subjects by showing them some of the pioneering technologies we’re trying, like BECCS, which could play a vital role in addressing the climate crisis.”

During the tour, pupils learnt how renewable electricity is generated and discovered how sustainable, compressed wood pellets have enabled Drax to reduce its carbon emissions by more than 80% compared to when those generating units used coal.

Annika Hatfield, from Applefields School, who organised the visit, said:

“The students had a great day at Drax, learning about how the electricity system works and where our electricity is generated. Visits like this are so valuable because seeing the power station and the scale of the operations is impossible to replicate in a classroom – it really brings the subject to life.”

Drax has a long tradition of supporting education and helping to inspire the engineers of the future by encouraging greater interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. Earlier this year it invested £35,000 in the GreenPower initiative involving seven local schools and colleges in building and racing electric vehicles.

The Applefields students are among over 12,000 visitors to Drax every year. Tours are free to all primary and secondary schools and can be tailored to suit the area of the curriculum teachers are interested in.

For further information on school tours at Drax visit the website at www.drax.com.

ENDS

Photo Caption: Applefields Students during their visit to Drax Power Station  

Media contacts:

Lily Pettifar
Drax Media Intern
E: [email protected]   
T: 07719559556

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.

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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner responds to Norwegian oil fund decision

6 February 2020

Press releases
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner said:

“It’s great news that the Norwegian oil fund has recognised the pioneering transformation at Drax. Converting Drax from coal to sustainable biomass has reduced emissions at Drax by over 80% since 2013, making us the largest renewable power generator in the UK and the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe.

“Now we’re taking it a step further with our world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage technology. This would anchor a new zero carbon industrial cluster in the Humber region, protecting thousands of jobs and creating new opportunities for clean growth in the north and throughout the UK.”

Background:

  • Drax supplies 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity
  • In December 2019, Drax became the first company in the world to announce an ambition to be carbon negative by 2030 using ground-breaking bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.
  • BECCS could be applied to Drax’s first biomass unit as soon as 2027. By using this vital negative emissions technology, Drax alone could deliver 16 million tonnes of negative emissions each year from its four generating units, creating an anchor for the Zero Carbon Humber initiative.
  • Its successful one tonne a day BECCS pilot was the world’ first to capture CO2 using a 100% biomass feedstock
  • BECCS is the only negative emissions technology which generates renewable electricity whilst removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
  • The UK Committee on Climate Change’s ‘Net Zero’ report states that BECCS could generate up to 173 TWh of electricity by 2050, capturing up to 51 million tonnes of CO2 – around half of the remaining carbon in the economy that the UK will need to capture to become ‘net zero’.
  • The Norwegian oil fund had previously excluded Drax from investment in 2016 following a decision by the Norwegian parliament in 2015 to sell out of companies in which more than 30% of revenues or activities are derived from coal.

Zero Carbon Humber:

Timeline:

2026: Hydrogen demonstrator and test facility built at Drax

2027: BECCS technology installed on one biomass generating unit at Drax

2028-2035: BECCS technology installed on all four drax biomass units

2028-2040: Hydrogen production scaled up to provide low carbon fuel to multiple industries across the region.

 Facts and stats:

  • The Humber region has around 100 chemical and refining companies, which together account for around 12% of total employment in the UK chemicals sector.
  • The Humber is a strategically important industrial cluster for the UK – it already contributes £18bn towards the UK economy each year, driven largely by its deep expertise in industrial processes such as refining, petrochemicals and manufacturing.
  • It supports 360,000 jobs – 55,000 of which are in the manufacturing sector.
  • The Humber is the most carbon intensive industrial region in the country – producing 12.4 million tonnes of CO2 from industry each year. (This does not include emissions from Drax or others in the power sector).
  • The Committee on Climate Change’s ‘Net Zero’ report states that BECCS could generate up to 173 TWh of electricity by 2050, capturing up to 51 million tonnes of CO2 – around half of the remaining carbon in the economy that the UK will need to capture to become ‘net zero’.
  • If Drax can scale up its BECCS pilot it could capture 16 million tonnes of CO2 each year.

ENDS

Drax Group CEO responds to Sustainable Aviation report

4 February 2020

Press releases
Large modern aircraft view of the huge engine and chassis, the light of the sun

“Today’s Sustainable Aviation report highlights the crucial role negative emissions technologies like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) will play in removing carbon from the atmosphere and helping important sectors of the economy like the aviation industry become net zero carbon.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner in the control room at Drax Power Station near Selby in North Yorkshire. Click to view/download.

“That is why the UK urgently needs a strategy to invest in and scale up these technologies in the 2020s and 2030s, supported by a regulatory framework that enables us to achieve our long-term carbon targets at the lowest possible cost.”