Archives: Press Release

Application for Development Consent Order submitted to the Planning Inspectorate

Millbrook Power Ltd (MPL, a subsidiary business of Drax Group) has today submitted its application for a Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate. Upon receipt of MPL’s application, the Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to decide whether to accept it for examination.

If the application is accepted for examination, MPL will formally notify Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council, the local parish councils in the near vicinity of the site at Rookery South Pit, local landowners and other statutory consultees. These stakeholders will receive a copy of the accepted application documents.

In addition, a notice will be published at or near the site and in local newspapers to publicise the accepted application and to provide information to local people on where they can review the application and how and when they can make representations to the Planning Inspectorate. Anyone who makes a representation can register to become an Interested Party once the Examination process starts.

Assuming the MPL application is accepted, we could expect the Examination process to start in February/March of next year (2018).

A ‘preliminary meeting’ with Interested Parties, MPL and the Examining Authority will be held to coincide with the start of the Examination process. This meeting will be held locally and interested parties will be given at least 21 days’ notice of the meeting. At this meeting, the Examining Authority will inform MPL and Interested Parties of the examination procedure and schedule.

The post-application and examination processes, including the formal notification of the accepted application and the consultation on the Application documents (undertaken in accordance with Section 56 of the Planning Act 2008), are defined by relevant regulations and the Planning Inspectorate.

Application for Development Consent Order accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate

Artist's impression of Drax Power Station CCGT

Drax Power Ltd has been notified by the Planning Inspectorate that its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) has been accepted for examination. The application is for development consent to repower up to two existing coal-fired generating units (Units 5 and 6) at the power station with new gas turbines as well as battery storage and associated development.

The application for the Drax Repower project was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 29th May 2018, after extensive engineering and environmental assessments and consultation with local councils, local people, landowners and other interested parties.

A copy of the application form and its accompanying documents, plans and maps (including the draft DCO and the Environmental Statement) are available until Wednesday, 29th August for inspection free of charge at the following places:

  • Selby District Council – Civic Centre, Doncaster Road, Selby YO8 9FT
  • North Yorkshire County Council – County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD
  • East Riding of Yorkshire Council – Customer Service Centre, Cross Street, Beverley HU17 9BA
  • Snaith Library – 27 Market Place, Snaith DN14 9HE
  • Goole Library – Carlisle Street, Goole DN14 5DS

If visiting North Yorkshire County Council, please ask at the reception to view the application documents.

The suite of documents is also available to view online through the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Officers at Selby District Council, North Yorkshire County Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are aware of the Inspectorate’s acceptance of the project for examination. Local parish councils, landowners and other prescribed consultees will shortly receive formal notification of the acceptance.

In addition, an official notice (Section 56 Notice) has been published today in The Times, the London Gazette and the Yorkshire Post and will be displayed in the local area.

Organisations and/or individuals who wish to register a representation and interest in the examination process can do so via the Planning Inspectorate’s website, giving notice of any interest in, or objection to, the application. The examination is likely to start in the autumn (the details and dates of the examination process have yet to be confirmed).

Representations or responses must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 11.59pm on Wednesday, 29th August 2018. All representations will be made public by the Planning Inspectorate.

The independent examination of the Drax Repower project is expected to last a number of months, after which it will be considered by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Drax responds to CCUS Cost Challenge Task Force Report

“The Cost Challenge Task Force Report rightly identifies the important role bioenergy and CCS could play in a future low carbon energy grid. In addition to providing flexible low carbon electricity to complement wind and solar, bioenergy and CCS can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to tackle climate change and realise the UK’s vision of being a net zero economy by 2050.”

Korean electricity producers learn about powering past coal

A group from a Korean power station has visited Drax to understand how it transformed itself from being the UK’s biggest coal-fired power station to become the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

The delegation from Korean South-East Power Co. visited Drax Power Station near Selby in North Yorkshire, where enough renewable electricity is now produced from sustainable biomass to power more than four million homes.

The group had a tour of the power station and heard about how Drax upgraded half of its generating units to use sustainable biomass instead of coal to become the UK’s biggest single site renewable power generator.

Drax signed up to the government’s Powering Past Coal Alliance earlier this year. The UK-Canadian initiative seeks to end the use of coal by 2030 in developed countries as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“Unabated coal does not have a role in our low carbon future. In the UK there has already been a dramatic fall in power generation from coal – an 84% reduction in the last five years, and a major shift towards lower carbon technologies.

“We want to share some of the engineering knowledge and expertise gained from successfully upgrading half of the power station to use biomass, with other power producers in the hope we can help to remove more coal from the system and develop a low carbon future globally.”

Drax is currently converting a fourth coal generating unit to use biomass, and is also progressing plans for repowering its two remaining coal units with gas power generation and batteries.

It welcomes over 13,000 visitors to the power station each year. As a member of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, Drax is committed to the development of a low carbon future globally.

New Drax Trains: Powering the Northern Powerhouse

Since it upgraded half of the power station near Selby in North Yorkshire to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed its business to become Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project and the UK’s largest single site renewable power generator.

Key to its success is its supply chain – including the development of bespoke train wagons able to transport compressed wood pellets in the quantities needed to the power station.

Drax’s rail wagons, the first of their kind in the world, were designed and developed by Lloyd’s Register Rail (Ricardo) and WH Davis – the UK’s last independent freight wagon manufacturer.

Work is now being carried out at Davis Wagon Services’ facilities (a subsidiary of WH Davis) to re-brand all 225 of Drax’s rail wagons, complete with new Northern Powerhouse branding.

Drax is a member of the government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative, which is aimed at boosting the region’s economy by investing in skills, innovation, transport and culture.

Jake Berry, Northern Powerhouse Minister said:

“The development of Drax’s train wagons is a Northern Powerhouse success story – I’m delighted to unveil the first of the newly branded wagons.

“The energy sector has been and will continue to be a major source of jobs and economic opportunity in the North of England. It is worth over £5bn to the North and the region has more low carbon jobs per 1,000 employees than anywhere else in England.”

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“With these trains delivering up to 20,000 tonnes of biomass each day, we are now powering millions of homes and businesses across the UK with reliable, renewable electricity, whilst generating over £500m for the northern economy and supporting more than 6,000 jobs in the region – including some here at Davis Wagon Services’ facilities.

“We have invested £700m transforming the business from coal to biomass, including the development of an entirely new supply chain, and these rail wagons are a vital part of that investment.

“Our biomass comes into the ports on the east and west coasts from North America and Europe, and is brought to the power station by rail, because it is more efficient than road transportation – helping us to make carbon savings of more than 80 per cent compared to when we used coal to generate electricity.”

John Hall, Managing Director of Davis Wagon Services Ltd, said:

“Our parent company is the last UK rail freight manufacturer, and winning the contract with Drax firstly to develop and build these unique biomass wagons and now in maintaining them, has enabled us to retain a number of staff in skilled jobs and invest £850,000 in our facilities here in the North.

“We will be working with Drax as it rebrands all of its wagons over the coming two years, re-wrapping them with the new branding as part of a rolling maintenance programme.”

ENDS

Media contacts

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of News
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 0203 9434305

Editor’s Notes

  • 65% of the electricity Drax produced in 2017 was renewable – enough to power four million households.
  • Having upgraded three generating units to use biomass instead of coal, Drax is in the process of converting a fourth generating unit to use biomass which should be completed this summer. It has also submitted plans to repower its remaining two coal units with gas power and battery storage which are being considered by the Planning Inspectorate.
  • 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 7 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

World Cup cuppas see Great Britain’s electricity demand surge

The nation breathed a collective sigh of relief after England’s victory in the tense penalty shootout against Colombia last night, and what better way to celebrate than with a cup of tea?

At half time, an additional 1,200MW of electricity was required from National Grid to cope with the number of kettles boiling, lights being switched on, toilets being flushed and pints being pulled.

The surge in demand was even greater than National Grid expected and equated to almost half a million kettles being boiled.

Demand surged to over 34,400MW during the game last night – 150MW more than National Grid had anticipated. However, the spike in demand was successfully plugged – largely by gas generation.

One of the biggest surges in sporting history still goes to the World Cup Semi Final in 1990 –  England v West Germany. The electricity demand was 2,800MW – equivalent to 1,120,000 kettles being boiled.

After that fateful penalty miss the population made for the kitchen. The match was watched by an estimated 26 million people in the UK. When full time was called they caused a 2,800MW surge in electricity demand.

The World Cup Quarter Final of 2002 – England v Brazil – also saw an enormous spike. Broadcast early on a Wednesday morning in the UK due to time differences with South Korea, where the game was played, the match saw England put up a solid fight against overall tournament winners Brazil.

A goal from Michael Owen provided early hope and at half time TV viewers left their screens to cause a huge 2,570MW spike in demand. By the time the game had reached its conclusion, Brazil had won thanks to a chipped Ronaldinho free kick that fooled England keeper David Seaman and those viewers who had lasted the duration caused a slightly smaller 2,300MW surge.

ENDS

Media contact

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of News
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 0203 9434305 

Editor’s Notes

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 7 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

About Electric Insights

  • Electric Insights is commissioned by Drax and is delivered independently by a team of academics from Imperial College London, facilitated by the College’s consultancy company – Imperial Consultants. The database analyses raw data that are made publicly available by National Grid and Elexon, which run the electricity and balancing market respectively. Released four times a year, it will focus on supply and demand, prices, emissions, the performance of the various generation technologies and the network that connects them.
  • The quarterly reports are backed by an interactive website electricinsightsco.uk which provides live data from 2009 until the present.

Most accurate Electric Insights now available

Drax Electric Insights, an interactive website which provides live data and analysis on the supply, demand, price and environmental impact of Britain’s electricity, has been upgraded to deliver the most accurate, up to date information yet.

The information used by the website now includes data from Sheffield Solar, the UK photovoltaic industry’s leading scientific data resource.

Their data complements the information supplied by National Grid and Elexon, who run the electricity and balancing markets respectively, which means Electric Insights can provide more accurate real time and historic information about solar power on the system.

Drax Electric Insights quarterly was launched in 2016, with reports delivered independently by a team of academics at Imperial College London – facilitated by the College’s consultancy company – Imperial Consultants.

Dr Iain Staffell, from Imperial College London said:

“The UK has around a million solar PV installations, but virtually none of them are metered on an hour-by-hour basis.  Information on distributed renewable generation has been very difficult to access – until now.

“This new data feed from Sheffield Solar means the Electric Insights platform can deliver the most accurate near real-time information about what’s happening right across the power sector.”

Dr Alastair Buckley, who heads up the Sheffield Solar Group, at the University of Sheffield said:

“We’re delighted that Drax Electric Insights have chosen to source their solar PV data directly from us.  We strive to make our solar PV data as accurate as possible to help National Grid operate as efficiently and as low carbon as possible and it’s great to see the data coming directly into Electric Insights – making visible the changes and challenges of the GB electricity sector”.

Ian Foy, Head of Ancillary Services at Drax, said:

“The energy sector is often criticised for being overly complex. Drax Electric Insights was born out of our desire to improve things by making the power sector more accessible to everyone.

“Since then it has become an important tool in helping organisations, as well as individuals, to better understand how the system works. These latest improvements will make it an even more relevant resource, delivering greater transparency.”

ENDS

Media contacts

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of News
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 0203 9434305 

Editor’s Notes

About Electric Insights

  • Electric Insights Quarterly reports analyse raw data that are made publicly available by National Grid and Elexon, which run the electricity and balancing market respectively, and Sheffield Solar. Released four times a year, it focuses on supply and demand, prices, emissions, the performance of the various generation technologies and the network that connects them.
  • Along with Dr Iain Staffell, the team from Imperial included Professors Richard Green and Tim Green, experts in energy economics and electrical engineering, and Dr Rob Gross who contributed expertise in energy policy. The work to date has revealed scope for further research in this area, to inform both government and organisations within the energy industry.
  • Guest authors have come from the National Farmers’ Union, National Grid and Renewable UK.
  • The quarterly reports are backed by an interactive website electricinsights.co.uk which provides live data from 2009 until the present.
  • New features:

Day ahead prices:

More accurate solar data:

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 7 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 Repower project application accepted by Planning Inspectorate for examination

Drax Repower 3D model

Drax Power Station’s application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for its Repower gas generation and battery storage project has been accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate.

Plans to replace Drax’s remaining coal generating units with up to 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of high efficiency gas-fired power generation and up to 200 megawatts (MW) of battery storage were first set out in September 2017.

Since then the company has been developing engineering and environmental reports for the application, as well as carrying out an extensive consultation programme with local people, landowners, councils and authorities.

The proposals will now be examined by an independent planning inspector before being considered by the Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) with a decision expected in 2019.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“I am delighted that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted our application for examination. This is an important milestone for the Repower project and takes us a step closer towards securing the future of the power station.

“With our gas Repower plans and the conversion of a fourth generating unit this summer to use biomass instead of coal, we intend to extend the life of the plant, protect jobs and deliver the flexible and reliable power millions of households and businesses need.

“By upgrading and reusing some of our existing infrastructure to use gas, we will be able to provide more capacity, stability and essential grid services cost effectively, and deliver the government’s commitment to end power generation with unabated coal by 2025.”

“We are committed to involving our local communities in our Repower plans and look forward to engaging with all interested parties over the coming months as the planning process progresses.”

Drax is already the UK’s largest single site renewable power generator having converted three coal generating units to use sustainable wood pellets, with the fourth set for this summer. More than two thirds of the power produced is now renewable, providing 15% of the UK’s renewable electricity – enough for four million homes.

ENDS

Media contacts

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of News
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 0203 9434305

Editor’s Notes

The planning process for the DCO is as follows:

  • Now the Repower application has been accepted for examination, Drax will notify local authorities, landowners and other statutory consultees and they will receive a copy of the accepted application documents.
  • In addition, a notice will be published at or near the Repower site and in relevant newspapers to publicise the accepted application. This notice will provide information to local people on where they can review the application and how and when they can make representations to the Planning Inspectorate.
  • Anyone who makes a representation can register to become an ‘Interested Party’ once the examination process starts.
  • If the application is accepted, the Planning Inspectorate will appoint an independent inspector known as an ‘Examining Authority’ to oversee the examination of the application, a process that is likely to start in the autumn.
  • A preliminary meeting with Interested Parties, Drax and the Examining Authority will be held to coincide with the start of the examination process. Interested parties will be given at least 21 days’ notice of the meeting. At this meeting, the Examining Authority will inform Drax and Interested Parties of the examination procedure and schedule going forward.
  • The post-application and examination processes, including the formal notification of the accepted application and the consultation on the Application documents (undertaken in accordance with Section 56 of the Planning Act 2008), are defined by relevant regulations and the Planning Inspectorate.

Anyone with questions about the process can contact Drax Repower team via email at [email protected] or by calling the Freephone number: 0800 731 8250 or by writing to them at FREEPOST DRAX REPOWER.

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 7 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

Institution of civil engineers celebrates engineering excellence at Drax power station

As part of its bicentenary celebrations, the ICE is recognising 10 significant engineering infrastructure assets and ten engineers across each UK region. Drax Power Station has been selected as one of the 10 major infrastructure assets for Yorkshire and Humberside.

It received a special commemorative plaque, which recognises Drax’s continued contribution to engineering.

Drax Power CEO, Andy Koss, accepted the plaque on behalf of the power station, surrounded by its engineers, employees and apprentices, as well as some potential future engineers from Camblesforth Primary school.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO said:

“Drax Power Station is not just an iconic feature of the Yorkshire landscape, it is also home to some of the very best engineers in the world. We are honoured to be recognised for the contribution our Drax engineers have made to the UK and to celebrate our heritage.

“We welcome around 13,000 visitors to the power station each year – many of whom are students, ranging from primary school-age to post-graduates. By bringing energy and engineering to life, we can inspire the next generation.

“Drax is a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure and last year we produced 15% of the UK’s renewable power. Our team of talented engineers converted three of our six generating units to run on sustainable biomass and our fourth is being converted this summer.”

Mark Calvert, Chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber committee at the ICE said:

“ICE 200 is a fantastic celebration of great works of engineering and achievements across the country and it’s wonderful to see so many engineers who have contributed so much to Drax power Station over the years.

“We are not only looking to the past though; we are creating the next generation of engineers. They will be the invisible superheroes who might not be seen but are all around us. People get up in the morning and turn the lights on without thinking about it, but behind that simple task is a feat of engineering that ensures the lights stay on for us all, and that’s what we want to celebrate, these engineers who are transforming lives and transforming society.”

Pic caption: Drax Power CEO, Andy Koss, accepted the ICE 200 plaque on behalf of the power station from Mark Calvert, Chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber committee at the ICE. They were surrounded by Drax engineers, retired employees and apprentices, as well as some potential future engineers from Camblesforth Primary school, local MP Nigel Adams and Mark Goldstone (Head of Policy and Representation) from the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

ENDS

Media contacts:

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

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

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used as the UK moves to a low carbon future. 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 7 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, provides businesses with electricity.

Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity and gas to businesses.

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

For more information visit www.drax.com

About ICE 200

The Institution of Civil Engineers is reaching a rare milestone in 2018 – a bicentenary.

ICE 200 is a perfect chance to celebrate the institution’s longevity, recognise the profession of civil engineering and most importantly the thousands of members who make the institution what it is. ICE will use the bicentenary as opportunity to remind the general public that civil engineers transform their lives for the better and safeguard the future for their families. In doing so, the institution also hopes to encourage young people to see civil engineering as a creative, rewarding and highly enjoyable career.

Events are planned for throughout 2018 and information will be made available on the ICE website: https://www.ice.org.uk