Archives: Press Release

Completion of deal means Drax will play bigger role at heart of Great Britain’s energy system

1 January 2019

Press releases

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Drax completes purchase of Iberdrola’s portfolio of flexible, low carbon & renewable assets

  • Drax will play bigger role in Great Britain’s energy system providing enough power for the equivalent of more than 8.3 million homes

  • Acquisitions ensure Drax can help support a power system with increasing intermittent renewable capacity by providing flexible generation and system support

  • Deal diversifies Drax portfolio and widens UK footprint

Drax is set to play a bigger role than ever in Great Britain’s energy system following the completion of the purchase of Spanish company Iberdrola’s portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable assets, for £702 million subject to customary adjustments.

The new power stations which will increase Drax’s electricity generation capacity by 60%, means the company will now provide enough power for the equivalent of more than 8.3 million homes.

Commenting on the completion of the deal Will Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Drax Group, said:

“As a British energy company, we are very proud to be the new owners of these critically important power stations across England and Scotland. For decades Drax has been at the heart of our energy system and now we’re going to play a bigger role than ever.

“We are investing in Great Britain by acquiring this portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable generation assets. They complement our existing activities by providing 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 deal adds 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of the Great Britain’s energy system. Drax have national footprint with operations in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands and the South East of England.

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 power. With the addition of 35% of Great Britain’s electricity storage capacity and 2GW of gas power stations Drax will also be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin the increases in solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

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

The sites are complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and means the company has developed from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operation.

Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, is the biggest renewable generator in the UK. Over the last decade Drax has converted two-thirds of what was Great Britain’s biggest coal fired power station to run on sustainable biomass, creating 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.

The acquisition was announced on 16th October 2018.

On the 3rd December 2018, following the suspension of the capacity market, Drax announced a risk sharing agreement with Iberdrola, linked to 2019 capacity markets payments.

Shareholders approved the deal at a General Meeting held on 21st December 2018.

The acquisition formally completed on 31st December 2018.

Media:

Drax External Communications:

Matt Willey

+44 (0) 7711 376 087

Ali Lewis

+44 (0) 7712 670 888

Notes to editors

Regional press releases:

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 Great 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 apprentice evening inspires the next generation

7 December 2018

Press releases

More than 160 students and parents attended the event at Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, to find out more about working at the site, which is the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

It was the first time the power station had held an event of this kind and it comes as it plans to increase the number of training roles available next year from nine to 12 – meaning it will have doubled the number of apprenticeships offered in the space of just two years.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“This event is helping us to build on our long-standing commitment to promoting education and skills in the North of England. 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.

“Seeing so many young people attending events like this shows how important apprenticeships are to students, as well as to businesses like ours. 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.”

The students who attended the open evening, most of whom were in their GCSE year, met with some of the current apprentices at the power station to hear about their experiences.

The mainly 15 and 16-year-old students were also able to sample a virtual tour of the power station and attend workshops on interview techniques and CV writing.

Resourcing manager Shelley Lawton, from Drax’s HR team, said the evening showcased the career opportunities at the site, which offers apprenticeships in both technical and office-based roles.

The event was part of Drax’s long-established community programme and commitment to learning and skills. It aimed to help students with their applications regardless of whether they’re planning to go on to further studies or pursue jobs at Drax, or elsewhere.

Shelley said:

“The evening was a real success and we hope to make it an annual event. The students were really engaged and had some excellent discussions with our current apprentices and staff members.

“Our 2019 apprenticeship scheme opens to applications in a couple of weeks. We’re looking forward to meeting our next generation of new starters who will help to continue to build our business.

“We hope the CV skills and interview technique workshops were useful to everyone who attended – whatever they plan to do after school. Not all of them will apply for a role at Drax but, hopefully, they’ll have learnt new skills which will help them to be successful in the roles they apply for in the future.”

Nine engineering apprentices began their careers at the Selby-based power station in September, a 50% increase on apprentice numbers on previous years as Drax continues to invest in and promote STEM skills. Twelve apprentice roles will be available in 2019.

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 from December 19 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
[email protected]
+44 (0) 7712677177

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 7712670888

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

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

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

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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

UK among world leaders in global energy revolution

5 December 2018

Press releases

  • The UK ranks 2nd in a global league of countries using technologies to limit climate change

  • UK phase out of coal has been faster than any other country in the world, cutting the carbon emissions from its power system by more than twice as much as some other countries

  • However, the UK has no large-scale carbon capture facilities, which are critical to climate targets being achieved

The UK is second only to Denmark when it comes to implementing measures to mitigate climate change, according to a new global energy revolution league table.

In the report Energy Revolution: A Global Outlook, researchers from Imperial College London have assessed 25 countries, covering 80% of the world’s population.

Launched today at the UN climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, the report looks at each country’s performance across five metrics, including:

  • Clean power
  • Fossil fuels
  • Uptake and sales of electric vehicles
  • Capacity for carbon storage
  • Energy efficiency of households, buildings and transport.

The UK’s carbon price – its charge on greenhouse gas emissions which is stronger than elsewhere in Europe – has led to rapid deployment of renewables and the fastest phase out of coal power, making for world-leading progress in reducing the carbon emissions from power generation.

Whilst most countries have reduced the amount of carbon dioxide produced per kWh of electricity by 100g/ kWh over the last decade, the figure in the UK is more than double that at 260g/kWh.

Uptake of electric vehicles is also among the highest in the UK, which is home to the world’s 5th largest electric vehicle fleet.

However, progress in the UK is being hampered by the fact it lags behind on the provision of large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities, needed to limit the harmful greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere.

The research was conducted by Imperial College London and E4tech, facilitated by Imperial Consultants and commissioned by Drax Group.

Figure 1: Ranking of country progress in the energy revolution

Responding to the findings Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“Our global economy is changing and the transition to zero carbon, lower cost energy is vital if countries are to be able to compete.

“At Drax, we’ve converted two thirds of our power station to use biomass instead of coal, transforming the business to become Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project and helping to make the phase out of coal in the UK the fastest in the world. But we want to do more.

“We’re piloting the first Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe – which could make Drax the world’s first carbon negative power station. Removal of carbon from the atmosphere is vital if we are to meet our climate targets.”

Commenting on his team’s findings, Imperial’s Dr Iain Staffell, said:

“We researched how the world is progressing on uptake of the five key technologies and measures needed to limit climate change to 2 degrees Celsius. This reveals Denmark, UK and Canada to be world leading.

“Progress across these five areas is very mixed.  Great strides are being made in cleaning up global electricity generation, and renewable capacity is increasing rapidly all around the world.  Electric vehicles are also rapidly taking off, but still have only reached a 5% share of new cars sold in two countries.  Improving the efficiency of our homes and industries needs urgent effort.  Significant investment in Carbon Capture and Storage will also be needed if it is to contribute to limiting climate change, as only 6 countries are currently demonstrating this technology at scale.”

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry, said:

“This confirms the UK’s position as a world leader in decarbonising the economy – phasing out coal as we move to a greener, cleaner energy system with record levels of energy from renewables. We have also led the way in transitioning to low emission vehicles and today one in five electric vehicles sold in Europe is manufactured here in the UK.

“But we’re determined to do more to reduce our emissions. That’s why last week we published plans for the UK’s first carbon capture, usage and storage project to be operational in the mid-2020s with the ambition of potentially rolling out this cutting-edge technology at scale in 2030s.”

Commenting on the findings, Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Policy and Translation from Imperial’s Grantham Institute, said:

“Ahead of COP24, this research provides a useful barometer of the progress countries are making in their uptake of technologies such as renewable power, Carbon Capture and Storage, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency measures.

“The findings also highlight the benefit of supportive government policies in limiting climate change to 2 degrees Celsius.” 

Calls for Carbon Capture and Storage

The UK lags behind on roll-out of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies. Only Norway, Canada, Australia, USA, Brazil and China currently have facilities to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale, and worldwide only 2.5 kg of CO2 per person per year is captured, versus an average annual carbon footprint per person of 5 tonnes of CO2.

Storage resources are not the barrier to deployment. The International Energy Agency estimates that 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide must be stored underground by 2060 to limit temperature rise to 2°C for least cost. USA alone has estimated storage capacity for over 100 trillion tonnes of carbon, and the UK has capacity for 70 billion tonnes.

Instead the barriers are political. USA benefits from tax credits that have been in place since 2008 for geological storage of carbon and China’s last two Five Year Plans have included specific goals to develop CCS. With most estimates outlining that significant CCS deployment is needed to limit the impact of climate change, the UK needs large scale deployment of the technology to remain a world leader in environmental progress.

Wider report findings

  • The UK and Denmark lead global efforts to move away from coal for power generation. But many Asian countries including Indonesia, India and Japan are increasing their reliance on fossil fuels. The countries with the cleanest power systems – Norway, France and New Zealand rely heavily on hydro or nuclear power.
  • The UK is home to the world’s 5th largest electric vehicle fleet, and 1 in every 40 new cars sold in the UK is electric. But Norway leads by far in terms of uptake of electric vehicles with half of all its cars now electric. Norway also leads in installation of car charging points with one charger for every 500 people, in the UK there is one charger for every 5,000 people.
  • Europe remains the global leader in energy efficient housing. Residential homes in Portugal, Germany, Netherlands and the UK are among the most energy efficient. By comparison, rising incomes mean China and South Africa are increasing their energy intensity.
  • The study shows that rising incomes across the BRIC economies are displacing public transport as populations with rising disposable incomes move towards private vehicles. As a result, China, India and Indonesia have increased their energy consumption per person in transport by over 50% over the last decade.

Figure 2: Current large-scale carbon capture capacity (in kg/CO2 per person per year)

ENDS

Media contacts

Rachel Adeyinka
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7940 177 999

Josh Harvey
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7714 162 783

Editor’s Notes

  • Energy Revolution: A Global Outlook was commissioned by Drax Group and conducted independently by academics from Imperial College London, and consultants from E4tech, facilitated through the College’s consultancy company – Imperial Consultants.
  • View and download the report: https://www.drax.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Energy-Revolution-Global-Outlook-Report-Final-Dec-2018-COP24.pdf
  • The measures used to assess the state of transition in the global energy system to achieve climate targets are:
    • Clean power: low carbon electricity generation, including renewables, biomass and nuclear
    • Phase-out of fossil fuels
    • Electrification of passenger vehicles
    • Carbon Capture and Storage
    • Improved efficiency across the economy
  • Country selection was based on including all G7 and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. The remaining countries were selected based on their membership to the IEA/OECD and/or their geographical location. Some countries could not be included due to limited data availability.
  • The results presented are based on data collected from other sources, as opposed to internal modelling.

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

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

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

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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

Imperial Consultants provide access to over 4,000 research-active expert academics and Imperial College London’s state of the art facilities to deliver innovative solutions to meet the business needs of industry, government and the third sector. Founded in 1990, Imperial Consultants is the wholly owned consultancy company of Imperial College London.

E4tech is a strategic energy consultancy. Founded in 1997 the firm provides technically informed insight on the energy transition and its implications on companies, governments and investors.

Doosan Babcock strengthens partnership with Drax Power Limited

30 November 2018

Press releases

The deal, worth at least £60 million, continues to cement the strong relationship between both companies dating back to the construction of the plant near Selby, Yorkshire which was started 50 years ago.

The new four year partnership, with the option for a further four years, will strengthen workforce collaboration and improve efficiencies in maintaining and extending the life of the plant which is responsible for providing 7% of the UK’s electricity.

As Drax Power moves towards a low carbon future, Doosan Babcock will continue to be a strategic partner in the evolution of this critical national asset.

Andy Colquhoun, CEO of Doosan Babcock commented:

“Drax Power is one of the most progressive and innovative companies in the global energy sector so we are delighted to deepen our strategic relationship. This new agreement provides a platform for further collaboration in the years ahead as Drax continue to invest and evolve their assets.

“We have a long and proud history with Drax, from supplying the original boilers over 40 years ago, to supporting Drax as it transforms its business to meet the demands of the modern energy market.

“This agreement is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, consistently delivering exceptional performance. Just recently we passed the milestone of over 3 million man-hours achieved over 9 outages without a Lost Time Incident dating back to 2014. I would also like to thank the Drax team for their support and dedication in the development of this new contract”

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“It’s vital that Drax continues to operate as reliably and flexibly as possible for the millions of homes and businesses which rely on the electricity we produce.

“This new contract will bring a closer working relationship with the Doosan Babcock team, delivering efficiencies whilst maintaining the high quality of work and standards of service required to maintain the UK’s biggest power station.

“We have converted two thirds of the power station to use biomass instead of coal, transforming the business to become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

“This, along with our plans to repower our remaining coal units to use high efficiency gas, is preserving the future of the power station and protecting jobs – our operations support 5,700 jobs across the North and generate £600m for the regional economy.”  

Background

Doosan Babcock has supported Drax throughout the full lifecycle in helping to build, maintain and extend the life of Drax Power Station. As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the boilers, Doosan Babcock played a critical role in an unprecedented construction project which involved a workforce peaking at around 8000.

In 2003 Drax Power Station started co-firing biomass as a renewable energy alternative to coal. Doosan Babcock has supported Drax with research and development of biomass firing equipment through to the full project delivery of key technologies in this conversion process.

Drax’s biomass conversion project was one of the largest power plant modernisation programmes in UK history. Drax committed to transforming the business into a mainly biomass-fuelled generator using compressed wood pellets in place of coal.

During the summer this year a fourth generating unit was converted from coal to use biomass – enabling Drax to generate more renewable power at the times the grid needs it the most. Around 70% of the power produced by Drax is now renewable, enough for four million households.

Drax Power also plans to repower the remaining two coal units to use high efficiency gas turbine technology and build up to 200MW of battery storage on site to provide additional flexibility. If these plans are approved, Drax could stop using coal as soon as 2023 – well ahead of the government’s 2025 deadline for unabated coal to no longer be used in power generation. Doosan Babcock will continue to support Drax throughout this transition.

Ends

Contact

Mark McDiarmid
Communications Manager, Doosan Babcock
E: [email protected]
T: 0141 885 3075

Notes to Editors

About Doosan Babcock

Doosan Babcock is a specialist in the delivery of engineering, aftermarket and upgrade services to the power generation, oil and gas, petrochemical and process sectors. With a focus on the delivery of low-carbon technologies and an industry-leading project management capability, the company builds, maintains and extends the life of customer assets worldwide.

For more information about Doosan Babcock, please visit www.doosanbabcock.com

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies seven per cent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fueled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable power generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

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

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

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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

Energy and Clean Growth Minister visits innovative carbon capture pilot at Drax

29 November 2018

Press releases

It is the first of its kind in Europe and could enable Drax to become the first carbon negative power station in the world.

BECCS has been identified as an essential technology for achieving global climate targets and the UK government announced new plans for developing CCS at the first ever world summit on CCS held in Edinburgh this week.

L-R: C-Capture project Engineers Duncan Holdsworth and Fatima Bilal, Drax Research and Innovation Engineer Carl Clayton and Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry

Drax has invested £400,000 in its BECCS pilot, which uses technology developed by Leeds University spin out company C-Capture, and is expected to capture a tonne of carbon dioxide a day during the six month project.

If successful and the technology is scaled up, it could enable Drax to achieve negative emissions – meaning the power it produces would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide accumulating in the atmosphere; vital in tackling climate change.

During her visit to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, the minister met the team behind the innovative project and heard about the commissioning of the plant, which got underway this week, and coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Climate Change Act.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry

Energy and Clean Growth Minister, Claire Perry, said:

“This major milestone in developing cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions while growing the economy shows our modern Industrial Strategy in action.

“Backed by government funded innovation, Drax has helped put the UK on the map when it comes to carbon capture ahead of pivotal talks with global leaders in Edinburgh this week, which aim to supercharge the global deployment of this game-changing technology.”

This project at Drax is already helping to put the UK on the map when it comes to carbon capture. The development of this cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions while growing the economy shows our modern Industrial Strategy in action. It is game-changing technology, which is why we need to supercharge its deployment.”

The government announced it was providing £20m to develop carbon capture equipment at industrial sites, as well as plans to repurpose fossil fuel infrastructure, such as reusing old gas pipelines to transport carbon, at the CCS summit in Edinburgh this week.

L-R: Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner, Drax Power CEO Andy Koss, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry, C-Capture Chairman Tristan Fischer and Drax Head of Research and Innovation Jason Shipstone

The project at Drax includes the use of equipment no longer used to control sulphur on four of the generating units at the power station which have been upgraded to use sustainable biomass, instead of coal. This is because the wood pellets used to generate renewable power, produce minimal levels of sulphur.

Since upgrading two thirds of the power station to use biomass instead of coal, Drax has become the UK’s largest renewable power generator and the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe.

ENDS

Media contacts:

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

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

Editor’s Notes

L-R: Drax Power CEO Andy Koss, Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry, C-Capture Chairman Tristan Fischer and Drax Head of Research and Innovation Jason Shipstone

  • Drax Power Station is the single largest user of sustainable biomass for power in the world – around 70% of the electricity it produces is renewable, enough to power four million households.
  • Biomass, such as sustainably sourced compressed wood pellets, is a renewable fuel – the CO2 captured  when it grew is equal to the emissions it releases when used to generate electricity so it does not contribute new carbon to the biosphere. When coupled with CCS, the overall process of biomass electricity generation removes more CO2 from the atmosphere than it releases.
  • The government’s Clean Growth Strategy identified ‘sustainable biomass power stations used in tandem with CCUS technology’ as a potential route to achieving long-term decarbonisation between now and 2050.
  • Drax is in discussions with the British Beer and Pub Association to see if it could help keep the fizz in the drinks industry as part of its efforts to ensure the carbon captured during the BECCS pilot project is used in another process or industry.
  • C-Capture is a spin out from the Chemistry Department at Leeds University and has attracted support from IP Group, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Energy Entrepreneurs Fund and the CO2 Capture Project for CO2 capture technology, which has potential in a range of areas including biogas upgrading, natural gas sweetening and hydrogen production.

L-R: C-Capture Chairman Tristan Fischer, Drax Power CEO Andy Koss, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry, Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner and Drax Head of Research and Innovation Jason Shipstone

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

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

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

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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 comments on European carbon pricing declaration

27 November 2018

Press releases

“Robust carbon pricing is one of the most effective tools to enabling a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. 

Will Gardiner, CEO, Drax Group

“Since the introduction of the UK’s carbon floor price in 2013, coal use has reduced by almost 75% and renewables capacity has tripled. 

“Going forward, it is vital that Governments across Europe and the EU target a strengthened carbon price in order to meet our Paris Agreement climate change targets.”

Download the declaration.

Drax apprentices shine at awards

26 November 2018

Press releases

Mechanical craftsperson Jack Bailey, from Pontefract, shared the Year 4 award with Jack Morris, from Doncaster. The judges said it was ‘impossible’ to decide between them, as they had both been outstanding throughout their entire four-year apprenticeship. Both winners will now continue their careers with Drax in the engineering department.

Jack Bailey, 20, also took home the Paul Chambers Outstanding Achievement Award.

He said:

“It’s just been an incredible night. Winning one award was a great feeling but to win two is just amazing.”

Jack Morris, also 20, added:

“It’s a fantastic feeling to know that we’ve been selected out of all the really good apprentices there are. I’ve still got lots to learn but it’s great experience. There’s so much technical ability at Drax to learn from, it’s a fantastic start for us all.”

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“Our apprentices are the future of our business and these award winners are our rising stars – their commitment, as well as the enthusiasm and talent they bring, is inspiring to see.

“An apprenticeship is a brilliant way to start a career in engineering. We’ve got lots of successful former apprentices working at Drax Power Station – there are engineers, section heads and department managers who all started out as apprentices.

“Investing in skills and the future of our people is vital not just for our business but for the Northern Powerhouse region and the UK as a whole. I’m looking forward to seeing all of our award winners continue to progress and develop their careers here at Drax.”

The awards event was held at Drax Sports and Social Club and was hosted by BBC Look North presenter Clare Frisby.

Other winners included:

  • Electrical craftsperson Jake Dawson, 21, from Carlton, near Selby, who rounded off his first 12 months as an apprentice at Drax by being named the Year 1 Apprentice of the Year. He was praised for his work ethic and the reliability he had shown so early on in his career.
  • Electrical craftsperson Tom Glennon-Fell, 20, from Selby, who was named the Year 3 Apprentice of the Year, for his enthusiasm to learn and willingness to go the extra mile.
  • Thomas Hughes, 26, from Goole, who picked up the Business Apprentice of the Year Award for his work to support teams across Drax Group. Thomas was commended for his attention to detail and for consistently delivering good results.

Drax increased its intake of apprentices this year by almost 50%, with nine new starters getting the chance to learn a trade, develop new skills and launch their career in engineering at the Selby-based power station, the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

It will be accepting applications for technical apprenticeships in January 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
MCD Communications Ltd
E: [email protected]
T: 01484 968238
M: 07969 080272

Notes to editors:

The Drax Power Apprenticeship Awards recognise individuals who have excelled consistently throughout the year across all areas of their development, achieving high standards and results both academically and practically while also demonstrating a real determination to succeed.

The winners were carefully selected by a panel of managers and supervisors, the HR team at Drax and the Uniper Training Academy. The Uniper Training Academy is dedicated top inspiring and supporting engineers. They offer apprenticeship programmes to help gain experience in the sector. Drax has a partnership with the academy to train its technical apprentices.

The Overall Outstanding Achievement Award was named after Paul Chambers for the first time in 2017. Paul was a lead engineer in the safety team at Drax for more than ten years. He was heavily involved in the apprenticeship scheme at Drax Power Station before he died in 2016.

Drax has a longstanding commitment to STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) learning, with around 13,000 educational visits to the power station taking place each year.

These range from Primary School to degree level, and all visits are tailored to the level of the visiting school, college or university.

Schools and colleges interested in visiting Drax Power Station for a tour or hearing more about the outreach work it does with educational establishments, should contact [email protected].

Drax and STEM Learning

Drax has a longstanding commitment to STEM learning, with around 20,000 educational visits to the power station taking place in 2017. These range from Primary School to degree level, and all visits are tailored to the level of the visiting school, college or university.

To find out more about working at Drax, go to www.drax.com/careers/

Photo caption:

Thomas Hughes (back) – Business Apprentice of the Year

Jack Bailey (front) – Year 4 winner and Overall and recently qualified

Joe Gallagher – recently qualified

Tom Glennon-Fell – Year 3 winner

Daniel Riley – recently qualified

Jack Morris – Year 4 winner and recently qualified

Jake Dawson (front) – Year 1 winner

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

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

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

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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

Santa to visit Drax as Christmas countdown begins

Press releases

A traditional Santa’s Grotto will be just one of the attractions for visitors to the site on Sunday 2nd and Sunday 9th December for the celebrations, which will also include the chance to make illuminated Christmas decorations and cards, ready for the big day.

Visitors will also get the chance to take part in face painting and a Christmas quiz trail around the Skylark nature reserve which forms part of the power station site, as well as viewing a traditional elves’ workshop.

The fun begins each Sunday at 11am and will continue till 4pm, with the last admission at 3.30pm.

The event is the latest community initiative by Selby-based Drax, the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, which sees around 13,000 visitors pass through its gates each year as it continues to grow in popularity as an alternative day trip destination.

Drax Power Station’s cooling towers in the snow, March 2018

Jane Breach, Community Engagement and Visitor Centre Team Leader at Drax, said:

“Last year’s event proved to be very popular and we’re expecting lots more visitors this year as the countdown to Christmas begins.

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“We’ve got another fantastic series of events for everyone at the Skylark Centre and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone again this year to get us all in the festive mood. Christmas outfits are more than welcome!”

The Christmas event follows on from a successful spooky Hallowe’en Saturday at Drax where children and adults alike enjoyed activities such as slime making, an eerie quiz trail based on dead celebrities and a themed café offering refreshments.

Further details on upcoming community events, including the Christmas events are available from the Drax Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DraxGroup.

Anyone interested in visiting the power station can arrange this by going to the website at www.drax.com/visit-us. All tours are free and can be tailored to individual group requirements.

Drax, which recently converted the fourth of its six generating units from coal to renewable biomass, generates enough electricity each day to power more than six million homes.

The site’s 380-acre Skylark nature reserve is used regularly by visitors and school children to Drax’s visitor centre, to learn more about the energy produced there. 

– Ends –

Media contacts:

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

Mark Duffell
MCD Communications Ltd
E: [email protected]
T: 01484 968238
M: 07969 080272

Notes to editors:

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

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

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

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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