Archives: Press Release

Power station apprentice scheme applications near deadline

24 January 2019

Press releases

Jack Morris, who was named Drax Power Station’s Year 4 Apprentice of the Year in November, was speaking as the deadline approaches for applications for this year’s apprentice intake at the Selby-based site.

Drax, the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, announced at the end of last year that it was doubling the number of apprentices it would take on at the Drax Power Station in 2019 compared to just two years ago, with 12 trainees due to begin their training there later this year.

Dozens of school and college students have already applied for a chance to begin their careers at the North Yorkshire power station, which produces enough power for more than six million households.

Drax also now owns and operates a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets across England and Scotland following their acquisition from Spanish company Iberdrola at the start of the year.

The deadline for applications is January 31 and Jack urged would-be applicants to get their applications in before it is too late.

He said: “Being an apprentice at Drax has been an amazing start to my career. I’ve still got lots to learn but I’m getting great experience.

“There’s so much technical ability at Drax to learn from, and there’s so much going on here, with teams working on the latest technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage. It’s a brilliant place to start your career.”

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“Every business in the Northern Powerhouse region has a role to play in creating opportunities for young people and raising aspirations – encouraging them to develop the skills they’ll need in the future.

“Our apprentices are the rising stars at Drax – they’re the key to the long-term success of the business. An apprenticeship is a brilliant way to begin a career in a variety of roles here and I’m looking forward to meeting our next intake.”

Nine engineering apprentices began their careers at the Selby-based power station in September, a 50% increase on apprentice numbers in previous years as Drax continues to invest in and promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills.

The energy firm also sponsors a number of PhDs at Sheffield University, producing cutting-edge research into areas such as the impact of human behaviour on vehicle to grid technologies where, in the future, electric cars could store and discharge power back to the grid to support the electricity system.

Drax will be accepting applications for technical apprenticeships until January 31 with further opportunities in business support areas, such as finance and business administration, becoming available throughout the year. Drax is keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds and to encourage diversity.

More information about apprenticeships is available on the Drax website.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07712677177

Mark Duffell
https://tel07969 080272MCD Communications Ltd
E: [email protected]
T: 07969 080272

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:  

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

Power station apprentice scheme applicants near deadline

Press releases

Tom Glennon-Fell, who was named Drax Power Station’s Year 3 Apprentice of the Year in November, was speaking as the deadline approaches for applications for this year’s apprentice intake at the Selby-based site.

Drax, the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, announced at the end of last year that it was doubling the number of apprentices it would take on at the Drax Power Station in 2019 compared to just two years ago, with 12 trainees due to begin their training there later this year.

Dozens of school and college students have already applied for a chance to begin their careers at the North Yorkshire power station, which produces enough power for more than six million households.

Drax also now owns and operates a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets across England and Scotland following their acquisition from Spanish company Iberdrola at the start of the year.

The deadline for applications is January 31 and Tom urged would-be applicants to get their applications in before it is too late.

He said: “Being an apprentice at Drax has been an amazing start to my career. I’ve still got lots to learn but I’m getting great experience.

“There’s so much technical ability at Drax to learn from, and there’s so much going on here, with teams working on the latest technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage. It’s a brilliant place to start your career.”

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“Every business in the Northern Powerhouse region has a role to play in creating opportunities for young people and raising aspirations – encouraging them to develop the skills they’ll need in the future.

“Our apprentices are the rising stars at Drax – they’re the key to the long-term success of the business. An apprenticeship is a brilliant way to begin a career in a variety of roles here and I’m looking forward to meeting our next intake.”

Nine engineering apprentices began their careers at the Selby-based power station in September, a 50% increase on apprentice numbers in previous years as Drax continues to invest in and promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills.

The energy firm also sponsors a number of PhDs at Sheffield University, producing cutting-edge research into areas such as the impact of human behaviour on vehicle to grid technologies where, in the future, electric cars could store and discharge power back to the grid to support the electricity system.

Drax will be accepting applications for technical apprenticeships until January 31 with further opportunities in business support areas, such as finance and business administration, becoming available throughout the year. Drax is keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds and to encourage diversity.

More information about apprenticeships is available on the Drax website.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07712677177

Mark Duffell
https://tel07969 080272MCD Communications Ltd
E: [email protected]
T: 07969 080272

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:  

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 acquires Lanark Hydro Scheme as part of £702m power deal

11 January 2019

Press releases

Believed to be the oldest hydro-electric plant in the UK, the power stations associated with the Lanark Hydro Scheme at Stonebyres and Bonnington on the River Clyde have a combined output of 17MW and were developed to meet demand for electricity in Lanarkshire after the First World War.

It is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the South East of England, the East of England and the East Midlands.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Stonebyres Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there – this hydro power system has operated on the Clyde for over ninety years, generating reliable supplies of electricity almost continuously.”

Powered by three waterfalls, known collectively as the Falls of Clyde, the Lanark Hydro Scheme uses weirs to divert water from the river to generate electricity at the two power stations at Stonebyres and Bonnington.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforces the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of flexible and renewable electricity.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW), Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW) in Argyll, and a biomass-from-waste facility, Daldowie, near Glasgow.

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations in England also acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

Pic Caption: Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO and Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO at Stonebyres Power Station, part of the Lanark Hydro Scheme.

ENDS

Media contact:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

Penstocks supplying water to Glenlee power station    Click to view/download

Weir at Bonnington hydro station in Lanark .    Click to view/download

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:

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 acquires Galloway Hydro Scheme as part of £702m deal

Press releases

Commissioned in the mid-1930s, the Galloway Hydro Scheme was the first large-scale integrated hydro-electric complex to be built in Britain and consists of six power stations, eight dams and a network of tunnels, aqueducts and pipelines.

It is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the South East of England, the East of England and the East Midlands,.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Glenlee Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there – the way this system of hydro power stations dams and tunnels operates is unique.  

“It generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind power onto the system.”

Glenlee Power Station, near St John’s Town of Dalry is the nerve centre of the Galloway Hydro Scheme and can operate the other power stations at Kendoon, Carfad, Earlstoun and Tongland, remotely.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW), Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW) in Argyll,  and a biomass-from-waste facility, Daldowie, near Glasgow.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforces the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of flexible and renewable energy.

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations in England also acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

Pic caption: Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO with Will Gardiner Drax Group CEO at Glenlee Power Station, part of the Galloway Hydro Scheme.

ENDS

Media contact:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

Penstocks supplying water to Glenlee power station    Click to view/download

Weir at Bonnington hydro station in Lanark .    Click to view/download

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:

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 acquires Cruachan Power Station as part of £702m power deal

10 January 2019

Press releases

The pumped storage power station is located in the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan, and was built in the 1960s. It is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the South East of England, the East of England and the East Midlands,.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Cruachan Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there – the way this truly unique power station has been built and operates inside the mountain really is an incredible feat of engineering.  

“By being able to run the plant in a range of different modes, we can generate very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind power onto the system.”

Cruachan is one of only four pumped storage power stations in the UK and works like an enormous rechargeable battery, temporarily storing energy by managing water resources between a reservoir in the Argyll hills and Loch Awe, 396m below.

Using its reversible turbines, the station pumps water from Loch Awe to fill the upper reservoir at times when demand for electricity is low. When demand increases, the stored water can be released through the plant’s turbines to generate power quickly and reliably.

The plant usually runs for short periods to meet peaks in demand, but it can operate continuously at full output for around 15 hours if necessary.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW) in Argyll, run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility at Daldowie, near Glasgow.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforces the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of renewable electricity.

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations in England acquired through the deal, Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

ENDS

Media contact:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two,  thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photo

L-R: Martin Mcghie, O + M Manager, Cruachan Power Station; Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO; Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO.

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:

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

Abergelli Project Update

8 January 2019

Press releases

The decision has been made because Watt Power (the parent company of Abergelli Power) was unable to secure contracts for its two consented 299MW gas-fired generation projects (in Suffolk and at Hirwaun, near Aberdare) through the Government’s recent Capacity Market Auction for future power generation (held in December 2015). If contracts are secured for these two consented projects in the Government’s next Capacity Market Auction (to be held in December 2016), Abergelli Power would look to submit a Development Consent Order application in 2017.

The City and County of Swansea, the local planning authority, has been notified.

Drax acquires Shoreham Power Station as part of £702m power deal

4 January 2019

Press releases

The gas-fired power station is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in the South East of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Shoreham Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there.

“This power station generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system.”

The 2.6GW portfolio consists of four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) stations in England: Shoreham in West Sussex (420MW), Rye House in Hertfordshire (715MW), Damhead Creek in Kent (805MW) and Blackburn Mill in Lancashire (60MW).

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW), run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility (Daldowie) in Scotland.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of renewable energy.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:

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 acquires Damhead Creek Power Station as part of £702m power deal

Press releases

The gas-fired power station is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in the South East of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Damhead Creek Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there.

“This power station generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system.”

The 2.6GW portfolio includes four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) stations in England: Damhead Creek in Kent (805MW), Shoreham in West Sussex (420MW), Rye House in Hertfordshire (715MW), and Blackburn Mill in Lancashire (60MW).

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW), run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility (Daldowie) in Scotland.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of flexible and renewable electricity.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:

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 acquires Rye House Power Station as part of £702m power deal

3 January 2019

Press releases

The gas-fired power station is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in the South East of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Rye House Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there.

“This power station generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system.”

The 2.6GW portfolio includes four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) stations in England: Rye House in Hertfordshire (715MW), Damhead Creek in Kent (805MW),  Shoreham in West Sussex (420MW) and Blackburn Mill in Lancashire (60MW).

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW), run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility (Daldowie) in Scotland.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of flexible and renewable energy.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

B2B supply:

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