Archives: Press Release

Emergency training exercise at Drax Power Station

29 September 2018

Press releases

Emergency services from Yorkshire and Humberside are working with the UK’s largest power station to test their combined capabilities in dealing with complex emergency incidents in the biggest training exercise of its kind at a power station in the region.

A training exercise will be staged at Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, on Saturday September 29 at 11am, when emergency services staff will team up with power station employees to test their skills.

The scenario they will be faced with will include a staged tanker explosion, which for the purposes of the training exercise will cause multiple issues at the industrial site, requiring specialist search and rescue skills to be deployed.

Jez Rushworth, assistant chief fire officer (operations) from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (pictured), said:

“By providing all of the agencies and Drax staff, with an opportunity to test their collective capabilities in this manner it enables us to build on the high level of expertise we already have in responding to and managing very serious and complex incidents across the county.

“We’ll be practicing skills in tackling different kinds of fires, working within unfamiliar industrial environments, managing and minimising environmental hazards, as well as rescuing casualties with a range of injuries – all of which is vital training so when it comes to saving real lives, we’re as prepared as we can be.”

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO said:

“At Drax we have an excellent safety record, but as a responsible business and the operator of the UK’s biggest power station we want to do everything we can to reduce the likelihood of emergency incidents happening, as well as minimising their impact should the worst happen

“Creating this complex scenario in a live industrial setting like Drax Power Station, should make it more realistic for everyone involved, so they get the most out of it. The power station will be in operation as normal throughout the event.

“People living nearby might see some smoke at around 11am on Saturday morning as the exercise gets underway. They may also see some emergency services activity on or near the site throughout the day.”

Staff from the following agencies are taking part in the exercise, alongside around 40 staff from Drax Power Station:

  • North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
  • West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
  • Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
  • North Yorkshire Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team (HART)
  • North Yorkshire County Council
  • The Environment Agency

The staged incident will take place at the southern side of the 1,850 acre Drax Power Station site.

ENDS

Media contacts

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 0771 267 0888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 0771 267 7177

Photos

Three photos used can be downloaded:

https://www.drax.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Drax-test-1email.jpg

https://www.drax.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Drax-test-2-email.jpg

https://www.drax.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_0203.jpg

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 single site 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

Delivering social, economic and environmental benefits for the Northern Powerhouse region

26 September 2018

Press releases

THE North is well placed to be the driving force behind new technologies that will power the UK for years to come – and power our economy too.

That’s according to Drax’s Group Director of Corporate Affairs, Clare Harbord, who will give the keynote speech at the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce AGM, today (Wednesday September 26) in Leeds.

“As a responsible, sustainable business Drax takes its role in the Northern Powerhouse very seriously. We’re proud of our Yorkshire roots and we’re a growing British company delivering social, economic and environmental benefits across the country.”

Drax contributes more than £500m a year to the Northern economy, employing around 900 people at the power station near Selby, and supporting a further 6,000 jobs in the wider supply chain across the region.

Having been the UK’s biggest coal-fired power station, Drax has transformed itself to become the country’s biggest renewable power generator, and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe. It has converted two thirds of the power station to use biomass from coal. In the process it has protected jobs and is securing the long term future of the power station.

Clare Harbord, Director of Corporate AffairsClare Harbord explained that there are some major opportunities for the North to be at the heart of innovative new technologies within the energy industry, building on the region’s industrial past and now more recently as a world leader in lower carbon technologies like offshore wind, nuclear and biomass.

“Innovation is a fundamental requirement for the clean growth needed if we are to meet our climate targets – that’s why we’re investing £400,000 in a pioneering bioenergy carbon capture and storage pilot with Leeds University spin out C-Capture, which could enable us to make the power we produce carbon negative.

“If we capitalise on the innovation and expertise we have here, then in the process we can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits for our communities too,” she explained.

“Having a highly skilled, diverse and inclusive workforce is vital to all of this. In the North we already have world-class engineers but we need to do more to invest in the next generation so they have the right education and skills, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

“Businesses have a key role to play and I’m proud to say Drax is working hard to inspire the next generation of engineers through school visits to the power station as well as apprenticeships – we’ve increased our intake of engineering apprentices at the power station by fifty percent this year.

“We’re also supporting academic research within our Northern Powerhouse universities to keep the region at the forefront of developments and maintain our position as world leaders.

“By working together with education providers, academics, businesses, local and regional government and our communities, we can develop opportunities which allow us to reach the great potential we have here in the North.”

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

  • Drax announced it is working with C-Capture, a Leeds University spin-out, on the first bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe, earlier this year. The pilot is due to get underway this autumn and is expected to capture a tonne of carbon dioxide each day. Drax is in discussions with the British Beer and Pub Association to see if the CO2 it captures during the trial could be used by the drinks industry.
  • The company converted its fourth generating unit from coal to biomass this summer, enabling it to produce more renewable power at the times the grid needs it the most.
  • Drax is pushing ahead with plans to repower its remaining coal units to gas and develop large-scale battery storage. It’s application for a Development Consent Order has been accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate with a decision expected from the Secretary of State for BEIS next year.
  • The government has said it wants there to be no more coal used to generate power in the UK from October 2025. If Drax’s gas plans are approved, it could stop using coal well ahead of the government’s deadline.
  • Drax welcomed 13,000 visitors to the power station near Selby, North Yorkshire, in 2017
  • Its new apprentices began work at the power station last month.
  • Drax is sponsoring PhDs at Sheffield University, researching a range of areas including the impact of human behaviour on vehicle to grid technologies for electric vehicles.

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 single site 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

Power station rail project named as best in class

19 September 2018

Press releases

The partnership between Drax Power Station, near Selby, in North Yorkshire and Davis Wagon Services saw a new fleet of freight wagons designed and built to deliver the biomass needed to produce renewable electricity for millions of homes.

It also enabled Davis Wagon Services, a North Lincolnshire-based rail firm, to invest £850,000 in revamping a mothballed Ferrybridge rail yard as a dedicated site to rebrand and maintain the power station’s fleet of 225 unique freight wagons, securing local jobs in the process.

Now, the programme has been named as the ‘Project of the Year’ by industry body the Rail Freight Group in recognition of the innovation involved in the work by Drax and Davis Wagon Services, the UK’s last independent freight wagon manufacturer.

The wagons, which transport biomass from ports on the east and west coasts of the UK to Drax, are maintained at the newly re-opened Ferrybridge yard, just over 20 miles away from the power station.

John Hall, MD of Davis Wagon Services, said:

“This is a monumental achievement for us and to be recognised in this way for the work we’ve done is incredible. We couldn’t have done it without the support of Drax.

“There are so many outstanding projects in our industry, and so to be singled out like this is a huge compliment to everyone who worked on the project.”

Drax Power CEO Andy Koss said:

“This was an important project for us and I’m delighted that the innovation and hard work of everyone involved has been recognised in this way.

“These trains deliver up to 20,000 tonnes of biomass every day to the power station playing a vital part in supplying renewable power to millions of homes and businesses. Furthermore, the project has helped support a local business and revitalise a disused facility within the Northern Powerhouse region, which we’re very proud to be a part of.”

The rail project – described as a ‘Northern Powerhouse success story’ in July by government minister Jake Berry – began in 2011 when Drax appointed Davis, along with Lloyds Register Rail (Ricardo) to design and develop bespoke rail wagons to ferry biomass to the power station, the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

It also saw Davis take on the work to maintain the 225 wagons and the firm will also now re-brand each one over the next two years in new livery featuring both Drax and the Northern Powerhouse logos.

ENDS

Media contacts:

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

Mark Duffell
MCD Communications Ltd
E: [email protected]
T: 01484968238
M: 07969080272

Editor’s Notes

  • The majority of the biomass Drax uses comes from North America and Europe on ships to ports on the east and west coasts of the UK (Immingham, Hull, Port of Tyne and Liverpool). It is then taken to the power station from the ports by rail.
  • Drax has an average of 17 biomass trains arriving at the power station per day (over a six-day working week) in order to supply the pellets needed to generate and supply 15 per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity.
  • Each train contains sufficient fuel to provide 815 houses in the UK with enough electricity for a year.
  • The fuel is transported to Drax via rail rather than road, to further reduce carbon emissions, as it is more efficient than road transportation. Using rail saves approximately 270,000 truck journeys per year and is estimated to save 32,622.50 tonnes of C02 per year
  • Independent research by Oxford Economics using 2016 data showed that Drax supported over 18,500 jobs across the country – more than 6,000 of which were across the North of England (Yorkshire and Humber, North West and North East). In addition Drax generated £577m for the Northern Powerhouse regional economy and £1.7 billion for the whole of the UK.

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 single site 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 Power CEO Andy Koss comments on Electric Insights report ‘Coal comeback pushes up UK’s carbon emissions’

17 September 2018

Press releases

“The carbon price has been the driving force behind Britain’s decarbonisation. This analysis shows that even with the carbon price, market conditions can be such that coal power can have a resurgence. The UK is getting closer to removing coal from the power system by 2025, but we’re not there yet.

“Even now, with so much coal already removed from the system, emissions from power generation would rise significantly without a strong carbon price, making it very difficult to deliver the clean growth required to meet our climate targets.”

View the report Coal comeback pushes up UK’s carbon emissions

Next generation of engineers kick start careers at Drax

30 August 2018

Press releases
Selby engineering apprentices

The technical apprentice scheme at Drax offers apprentices the chance to learn a trade, develop new skills and launch their career in engineering at the UK’s biggest power station and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

The nine apprentices will be trained in engineering to work within the maintenance department at Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire. They will work on new and recently upgraded plant designed to process biomass and the maintenance of the power station.

Having upgraded two thirds of the power station from coal to use renewable biomass, nearly 70% of the power produced at Drax Power Station, is now renewable – enough for four million households.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO said:

“I welcome this year’s apprentices – they have a really bright future ahead of them.

“Apprenticeships are vital to our success as a business. Having talented people at all stages of their careers is important in building and retaining the skilled workforce we need, if we are to continue to innovate and enable the business to grow.

“As one of the major employers in the Northern Powerhouse region, we have an important role to play in helping to drive up standards in education by making sure children and young people have inspirational experiences in the world of work.

“At Drax we’re delivering on that, both by increasing the number of apprenticeships we’re offering and through the outreach work we do with schools and colleges which enables thousands of students to visit the power station each year.”

This year’s apprentices, from Selby, Goole, Doncaster, North Lincolnshire and Gainsborough, are aged between 16 and 19.

Jamie Goodall, 16, from Addingfleet, near Goole, said, “I’m really looking forward to getting some hands-on, practical experience. I was really ready to get out of a school classroom and start learning in a different way, so it’s exciting to be here.”

18-year-old Cameron Shipstone, from Hemingbrough, near Selby, added, “My dad works at Drax and has done so his whole working life. I visited the power station when I was young and saw the scale of everything, and all the interesting things that were going on.

“I then did some work experience at Drax, and realised a career in engineering was so much more appealing than going to uni – I can’t wait to get started now.”

Andy Koss continued, “Many of our engineers, section heads and department managers are former Drax apprentices who have spent 30 years or more at the plant.

“We’re doing a lot of exciting things at the moment so it’s a great time to join – we’ve just successfully converted our fourth generating unit from coal to biomass and we’re also exploring options for repowering our two remaining coal units to gas and developing large-scale battery storage.”

The Drax Apprenticeship Training Scheme is a four-year programme, and specialises in three engineering disciplines: Mechanical, Electrical and Control & Instrumentation.

Drax offers apprenticeships in engineering disciplines as well as business support areas, such as Finance and Business Administration. All opportunities are advertised on our website.

ENDS

Media contact

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 01757 612848

Notes to editors:

  • Drax has a longstanding commitment to STEM learning, with around 13,000 educational visits to the power station each year. These range from primary school pupils to degree level students, and all visits are tailored to the level of the visiting school, college or university.
  • In 2017 Drax welcomed six technical apprentices compared to nine in 2018 – an increase of 50 per cent.
  • To find out more about working at Drax, go to https://www.drax.com/careers/

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 single site 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 Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, welcomed Nigel Adams MP, for the official switch on of its fourth biomass generating unit.

22 August 2018

Press releases

The Selby MP joined Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner, Drax Power CEO Andy Koss and project manager Adam Nicholson to celebrate the power station moving closer to achieving its coal-free ambitions. Work got under way on the conversion as part of a planned maintenance programme in June, with Drax’s team of engineers completing the work required, on schedule, in just over two months.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO said:

“This is another major milestone in the transformation of the power station. It will extend the life of the plant, protecting jobs, whilst delivering cleaner, reliable power for millions of homes and businesses.”

Drax is already the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe, and the conversion of a fourth generating unit means it is on course to be off coal before the government’s 2025 deadline. Drax will now continue its work to replace its remaining two coal units with gas-fired power generating units.

Drax closer to coal-free future with fourth biomass unit conversion

20 August 2018

Press releases

Drax has switched on its fourth biomass generating unit – taking the power station in North Yorkshire a step closer to achieving its coal-free ambitions.

Work got under way on the conversion as part of a planned maintenance programme in June, with Drax’s team of engineers completing the work required, on schedule, in just over two months.

Having upgraded three of its coal units to use biomass, Drax is already the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe. The conversion of a fourth unit means it is on course to be off coal before the government’s 2025 deadline.

To convert the unit the project team has re-used some redundant infrastructure left from when the company was first co-firing biomass with coal on a large scale, around eight years ago.

A trial last year confirmed that by modifying the old co-firing fuel transportation system, compressed wood pellets can be delivered in the quantities required to fully convert the fourth generating unit.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“This is another major milestone in the transformation of the power station. It will extend the life of the plant, protecting jobs, whilst delivering cleaner, reliable power for millions of homes and businesses.

“It is testament to the engineering expertise, skill and ingenuity we have at Drax. The team has developed some very innovative solutions for this upgrade, using all the knowledge we’ve gained throughout the work we have done so far to transform the business using sustainable biomass.”

The cost of conversion of the fourth generating unit is significantly below the level of previous conversions, at around £30 million.

Drax has already invested around £700 million in upgrading the first three units and associated supply chain infrastructure to use sustainable biomass instead of coal.

Nigel Adams MP for Selby said:

“I’m delighted to see Unit 4 in operation as a biomass unit, continuing the good work Drax is doing with its Beyond Coal strategy, protecting jobs and ensuring it continues to play a vital role in the Northern Powerhouse economy.”

The fourth unit will help the power station, at Selby in North Yorkshire, to deliver vital reliable and flexible power needed by the grid to maintain secure supplies as more renewables come online and the sector continues to decarbonise.

Drax will now continue its work to replace its remaining two coal units, with gas-fired power generating units. The Combined Cycle Gas Turbines it is looking to develop could deliver up to 3.6GW of capacity, as well as up to 200MW of battery storage.

Drax’s plans for the gas project have been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, which accepted the application for examination. The proposals will now be examined by the Planning Inspectorate and then considered by the Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy with a decision expected in 2019.

In the UK there has been an 84 per cent reduction in coal-fired power generation in the last five years as low carbon generation has increased.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712 670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 020 3943 4305

Editor’s Notes

  • Drax welcomed the UK Government’s response to the consultation on cost control for further biomass conversions under the Renewable Obligation scheme, published in January.
  • It proposed that, rather than imposing a cap on Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) support for any future biomass unit conversions, a cap would be applied at the power station level across all units receiving ROCs.
  • This will protect existing converted generating units and limit the amount of incremental ROCs attributable to additional unit conversions to 125,000 per annum.
  • As a result, once the unit is converted this summer, Drax expects to optimise its power generation from biomass across its three ROC units under the cap, whilst supporting the Government’s objective of controlling costs under the Renewable Obligation scheme.
  • Drax also has a biomass generating unit which receives support under the Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme. This unit is unaffected by the government consultation on cost control for further biomass conversions under the RO scheme.
  • The fourth generating unit at Drax was switched on in 1986 when the second half of the power station known as ‘Drax B’ began generating power from coal. This was 12 years after the first half of the power station began generating power in 1974
  • Drax converted its first three coal units to use biomass between 2013 and 2016.
  • 65% of the electricity Drax produced in 2017 was renewable – enough to power four million households.
  • Drax signed up to the Powering Past Coal Alliance in April. The UK-Canadian initiative seeks to end the use of coal by 2030 in developed countries.
  • Drax is the most efficient power station in the UK’s coal fleet and Drax’s fourth unit would have been one of the last to close under the Government’s coal phase out plans. This means Drax is closing a coal unit nearly seven years earlier than anticipated.
  • In 2016 Drax supported more than 6,000 jobs in the Northern Powerhouse region, whilst generating £577m for the local economy.

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 single site 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 could help keep the fizz in the drinks sector

10 August 2018

Press releases

But now the country’s biggest power station has met with the British Beer & Pub Association to see if it can keep the pep in the nation’s pints.

Drax, which owns Britain’s biggest power station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, is about to begin a pilot trialling the first Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe, which could make the renewable power generated at Drax carbon negative.

If successful the BECCS project could also help to secure future access to CO2 for the UK’s breweries and pubs.

During a six month trial, due to get underway in the next few months, a tonne of CO2 could be captured and stored each day from one of the power station’s biomass fuelled generating units.

That’s enough to produce the fizz for 32,000 pints of beer a day – equivalent to 5.7 million over the course of the six month project, which is more than enough to put the bubbles in a pint for everyone in Yorkshire.

If successful, the technology being trialled could be scaled up to capture even more CO2 at the power station – the largest single site renewable power generator in the country.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“We’re excited to be discussing our BECCS project with the BBPA. This pilot not only has the potential to ensure the UK meets its climate targets, but for the carbon captured to also help to keep the nation’s beer from going flat – and we’d certainly raise a glass to that.”

Brigid Simmonds, British Beer & Pub Association CEO, said:

“Beer is the nation’s favourite alcoholic beverage and on average pubs serve as much as 10 million pints of beer per day, so the recent shortfall of CO2 was most unwelcome. We hope that these discussions with Drax Group and the potential to increase access to a new source of CO2 in the UK will help ensure that a shortage does not happen again.”

Enabling other industries to use the CO2 produced from Drax’s renewable power generation, has the potential to allow businesses to use the carbon dioxide from a renewable source without contributing additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – making their processes carbon neutral.

ENDS 

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of News
E: [email protected]
T: 07712 670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 020 3943 4305

Drax announced its BECCS pilot in May. The carbon captured will be stored on site in compressed form with a view to working with partner organisations able to use the carbon to create further value in their own processes.

Editor’s notes

  • Drax is working with Leeds-based C-Capture which has developed the technology for the project.
  • Drax has invested £400,000 in the trial which could be the first of several pilot projects undertaken at the power station to deliver a rapid, lower cost demonstration of BECCS.
  • BECCS is vital to global efforts to combat climate change because the technology will mean the gases that cause global warning can be removed from the atmosphere at the same time as electricity is produced. This means power generation would no longer contribute to climate change, but would start to reduce the carbon accumulating in the atmosphere.
  • A report by the Energy Technology Institute in 2016 has suggested that by the 2050s BECCS could deliver roughly 55 million tonnes of net negative emissions a year in the UK – approximately half the nation’s emissions target.

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 single site 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 signs £40 million contract with Siemens for turbine upgrades

31 July 2018

Press releases

Drax Power, which operates the biggest power station in the UK, has signed a new £40 million contract with Siemens for the upgrade of turbines on three of its biomass units over the next three years.

The upgrades will deliver efficiencies, as well as maintenance savings, which will cut the cost of biomass electricity production at the plant in North Yorkshire.

The work, which starts in 2019, will take three years to complete, with one biomass unit being upgraded each year as part of its planned major overhaul. The efficiencies will be gained by fitting new, high tech pipework and valves, with new high efficiency blading and long life seals within the turbines on biomass units 1, 2 and 3.

Since transforming half of the power station to run on compressed wood pellets instead of coal it has become Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project – and the UK’s largest single site renewable power generator.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“We firmly believe that biomass has a long-term role to play in the UK’s energy infrastructure. We’re looking at a number of ways to bring down the costs of our biomass generation – and these turbine upgrades are an important part of that work.

“Reducing the costs of our biomass operations will help to preserve the life of the plant and protect jobs, whilst we continue to produce the flexible, renewable power millions of homes and businesses rely on.”

Darren Davidson, Managing Director, Power Generation Services, Power and Gas, Siemens added:

“Siemens and Drax have a long-standing and proud partnership so it’s fantastic that we will now help them further develop their biomass solution. Once delivered this project will improve plant efficiency and flexibility and provide a further source of low carbon power to UK homes, businesses and services.”

Drax has upgraded three of its coal units to run on biomass with a fourth unit currently being converted – due to return to service later in the summer. It also plans to repower its remaining two coal units to use gas and develop up to 200MW of battery storage.

The cost of the upgrades are within Drax’s existing plans with payment upon completion of the works.

ENDS

Pic caption: Image of a generator core from inside the Siemens factory ‘white room’ that has been installed inside the turbine hall at Drax Power Station.

Media contact

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of News
E: [email protected]
T: 07712 670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 020 3943 4305 

Editor’s Notes

  • Drax produces 11.5% of the UK’s renewable electricity – enough for four million households.
  • Its Repower project was recently accepted for examination by the Planning inspectorate with a decision expected from the Secretary of State for BEIS next year in the autumn.
  • Drax recently announced it is to pilot first Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe – which has the potential to enable the plant to become carbon negative.
  • Drax Group contributed almost £1.7 billion towards UK GDP in 2016 and supported over 18,500 jobs across the country.
  • Drax Power Station makes a significant socio-economic impact contributing more than £0.5 billion to the economy and supporting more than 6,000 jobs across the Northern Powerhouse region.
  • Drax’s biomass generating units deliver carbon savings of 80% compared to when they used coal.

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 6 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 single site 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