Archives: Press Release

Drax Foundation donates over £320k to support STEM education and community initiatives in UK and North America

21 June 2023

News

The Foundation supports education and skills development for non-profit organisations and social enterprises in the regions where it operates and runs two grant cycles a year. Today Drax has announced that £323,000 of funding has been awarded across the UK, US and Canada as part of the first round of grants since the Foundation was launched in March 2023. 

Shona King, Drax Head of Community, said: “We are passionate about giving back to the communities we operate in and earlier this year we launched the Drax Foundation as part of an exciting new chapter in how we deliver positive social impact. We are pleased to announce that our initial £323,000 grant awards will support 13 projects across the UK and North America which work to support STEM education or to enhance green spaces and biodiversity.” 

Drax Foundation is focused on funding initiatives that support education and skills development in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces and enhance biodiversity within local communities. Funding is available for organisations ranging from smaller community-led projects to larger grants of £50,000 for established non-profit organizations.  

Priority is given to organisations that deliver programmes for under-served and under-represented groups, advance gender equality and support indigenous communities.  

Of the total, almost £90,000 has been split between three different organisations near to Drax Power Station in Yorkshire and the Humber;  

  • NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership) who work with schools and businesses to develop STEM programmes 
  • Don Catchment Rivers Trust which offers Community-led conservation and nature-based STEM education for children 
  • Toranj Tuition, a Hull-based organisation established to stimulate social mobility and to facilitate equal opportunities for adults and children through our educational programmes. 

£50,000 has been awarded to two different projects near to Drax’s hydro operations in Scotland; 

£10,000 has been awarded to Speakers for Schools which offers STEM programming focussed on ‘green skills’ for the future in Northampton and Ipswich where Drax’s two energy supply businesses Opus Energy and Drax Energy Solutions are based. 

Over US $100,000 has been awarded to four different projects in the US where Drax owns several pellet plants and has recently opened its BECCS headquarters; 

Over CAD $150,000 has been awarded to three different projects near to Drax’s pellet operations in Canada; 

  • The Exploration Place to develop a STEM outreach program in schools and among First Nations communities in the Prince George region 
  • Connected North to offer STEM learning for First Nations communities across Yukon, Northwest Territories, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario 

Organisations and initiatives that meet Drax’s funding and selection criteria are encouraged to visit www.drax.com/community  to learn more about the Foundation and submit an initial expression of interest.  

The Drax Foundation is a donor advised fund administered by the Charities Trust (an independently registered charity with the UK Charity Commission, charity no. 327489) 

ENDS 

Pic caption 1: Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability

Pic caption 2: Kirkcudbright Dark Space Planetarium offers fun and interactive STEM activities for young people

Pic caption 3: Galveston Bay Foundation volunteers taking part in a river clean-up

Media contacts: 

Megan Hopgood   
Communications Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07936 350 175

About Drax  

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.  

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com 

Power generation:  

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.   

Having converted 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.  

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.   

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets. 

Pellet production and supply:

The Group has 19 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year. 

Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.  

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia. 

Customers:    

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.  

To find out more go to the website energy.drax.com 

Delegation of Japanese industry and embassy officials visit Drax Power Station

14 June 2023

News
  • The group was joined by the Counsellor of Energy and Infrastructure for the British Embassy in Tokyo, among other officials from the UK Department for Business and Trade, and industry leaders.
  • Drax is committed to its growth in Japan and Asia, supporting the decarbonisation of the region and providing a dispatchable, renewable energy option.

A delegation of officials from the British Embassy in Tokyo and Japanese industry have been welcomed to Drax Power Station – the country’s single-largest generator of renewable electricity. The group included the British Embassy in Tokyo’s Counsellor on Energy and Infrastructure as well as a delegation of Japanese supply chain partners, customers, and industry representatives.

The group met with Vaughan Bassett, Senior Vice President of Biomass Sales and Logistics at Drax, to learn more about Drax’s operations and conversion to sustainable biomass – a radical move that transformed the business into Europe’s largest single-site decarbonisation project. They were also interested in Drax’s global leadership in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – including plans for BECCS at Drax to permanently remove eight million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year by 2030, whilst supporting the creation of a new global industry in the UK, delivering tens of thousands of jobs in a new green economy.

The delegation included officials from the British Embassy in Tokyo, the UK Department for Business and Trade, NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers – a dry bulk carrier and current charter vessel supplier to Drax, Sumitomo Corporation – a major Japanese trading company and current customer of Drax, and a major Japanese utility currently using biomass.

Vaughan Bassett, Senior Vice President of Biomass Sales and Logistics at Drax said,

“We were thrilled to welcome today’s delegation from Japan so they could see the benefits of sustainable biomass first hand.”

“At Drax Power Station, we have reduced our fossil fuel emissions by around 99% in the last decade as a result of our conversion from coal to sustainably sourced biomass and have plans to become carbon negative with BECCS. We believe BECCS has a vital role to play in future on the journey to Net Zero, and we hope the group will take away the learnings and confidence to aid in their expansion of sustainable biomass and BECCS in Japan.”

Over the last decade, Japan has made substantial progress in developing an efficient, resilient, and sustainable energy system, however it is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. To achieve its aim of carbon-neutrality by 2050 the country will need to accelerate the development of low-carbon technologies, address regulatory and institutional barriers and further enhance competition in its energy markets.

Umair Choudhry, Energy and Infrastructure Counsellor for the British Embassy in Tokyo said,

“It was inspiring to visit Drax Power Station and have the opportunity to take in the scale and ambition of the operation.”

Drax is committed to its growth in Japan and Asia with an ambitious target of doubling the sale of sustainably sourced biomass in Japan, supporting decarbonization and providing a safe, stable renewable energy option.

Global policy support is increasing for BECCS which Drax believes will become a world leading solution for large-scale carbon removals. Drax aims to be a global leader in BECCS and is advancing plans for global BECCS sites.

Drax has identified its first preferred site for new-build BECCS in the US South and has over ten more potential sites under evaluation. The UK Government has also confirmed its commitment to support the deployment of large-scale Power BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) projects by 2030.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Sloan Woods
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07821665493

Picture Caption:

  • Japanese industry and diplomatic officials stand alongside Drax colleagues in the Drax Power Station Visitors’ Center in Selby, York.

Editor’s Notes:

  • Drax Group, the world’s leading producer and user of sustainable biomass, aims to increase its wood pellet production capacity from 5 million tonnes a year to 8 million tonnes a year by 2030, supporting global efforts to displace fossil fuels and decarbonise energy systems.
  • Drax is committed to its growth in Japan with a dedicated Tokyo-based team of biomass experts and an ambitious yet achievable target of doubling the sale of sustainable biomass.
  • Drax sees Japan as a potential market leader in Asia and beyond, supporting decarbonization and providing a safe, stable renewable energy option.
  • As a supplier of sustainable biomass pellets to customers in Asia and Europe, and with more than a decade of experience in converting the UK’s biggest coal-fired power station to use sustainable biomass, Drax is uniquely placed to support Japan as it further decarbonises its economy and energy system.
  • Drax is also pioneering bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), an essential carbon removals technology which provides renewable energy while also permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
  • The transition to biomass not only supports the development of renewable energy but it also unlocks future BECCS projects in Japan which can utilize Japan’s technological expertise in carbon removals – driving innovation and securing high-quality jobs.
  • Long term policy support is needed for successful coal to biomass conversions and BECCS.

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.

Having converted 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.

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.

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.

Pellet production and supply:

The Group has 19 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year.

Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.

Customers: 

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.

To find out more go to the website www.energy.drax.com

A very British way to save the planet

9 June 2023

Press releases

Four weeks after passing the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden gathered a crowd of 1500 activists, CEOs, politicians, and celebrities on the South Lawn of the White House to mark his most significant political win to date – ushering into law the largest programme of clean energy investment in history.

The Inflation Reduction Act comprises an eye watering $370 billion to kickstart investment in technologies like carbon removals and renewables.  According to researchers at Princeton University, it will reduce America’s emissions by more than 6 billion tonnes by 2030 while incentivising around 120GW of clean energy projects each year. Goldman Sachs estimates it could spur as much as $11 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2050.

Biden’s approach has turned heads overseas.  For businesses, including my own, the investment opportunities are transformative for both companies and the climate.  At Drax, we are pioneering bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS – a technology that generates renewable power while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  We have now selected our first two sites in the US, which will remove 6 million tonnes of carbon from atmosphere each year by 2030, and we have a further 9 sites in development.  The provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, namely that to award companies that capture and store carbon dioxide with an $85 per ton credit, make the US an attractive place to be.

Governments have been far less enthusiastic about the legislation, driven by a concern that the lure of Biden’s tax incentives will syphon away domestic industries.  The UK has been particularly robust in its response, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stating he won’t go “toe-to-toe” with America in a “distortive global subsidy race”.  Instead, he said, he will focus on creating a “pro-growth regulatory regime”, which will be “different and better”.  What that means, he promised, will be spelled out at his forthcoming autumn statement.

As an American who has lived and worked in London for the past 26 years, I have become accustomed to the British way of doing things.  If in America the squeaky wheel gets the grease, then in the UK the tallest poppy is sure to be cut down.  Which is to say the Chancellor has a point. There is no use in, nor any need for, the UK to go toe-to-toe in a subsidies war with America.  Firstly, even in the best of economic circumstances it will never win; but secondly, and more importantly, the UK’s long term, disciplined approach to driving climate action while preserving energy security has resulted in a regulatory rulebook rich with opportunity to make Britain a clean energy powerhouse if we choose to make it so.

Researchers from Imperial College London have estimated that if the UK is to claim that mantle it must unlock £80bn in clean energy infrastructure investment. According to the Climate Change Committee, a similar level of investment could deliver more than £1 trillion of economic value.  Better still, Britain is bursting with potential projects in hydrogen, long duration energy storage and carbon removals to name a few, and by tweaking our existing regulatory rulebook we can make them a reality.

Take for example the Contract for Difference (CfD). While it will never grab headlines, it has helped Britain’s power system decarbonise faster than any other G7 nation.  Expanding CfDs to new technologies like BECCS would enable companies like Drax get on an invest more than £2bn in BECCS technology here in the UK. The concept of a CfD is simple and has been used extensively in the generation of renewable power. Government enables upfront capital investment in large infrastructure projects by stabilising the revenue companies receive for the power these projects produce.  If the market price of power is below the government stabilised level, companies receive the difference.  If it is above, companies pay back.  Being a private law contract, the CfD provides high levels of investor certainty while helping guard consumers against spikes in energy prices -delivering a public good that is a good deal for the public.  According to think tank Onward, from November 2021 to January 2022, CfDs paid back £114 million to consumers – a figure that could rise as high as £10.5 billion per year by 2027.

Then there is our emissions trading system, or ETS.  The UK was among the first nations in the world to put a price on carbon emissions back in 2002.  Last year alone the Treasury netted over $1.4 billion from the UK’s ETS by charging emitters for every tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  In the coming months, Government will set out how it intends to reform the ETS, providing an opportunity to re-structure it with green infrastructure investment at its core. One option is to enable negative emissions to play a role inside the system by allowing companies to purchase credits from companies that remove carbon dioxide instead of simply paying government to emit.  Doing so would mean meeting our climate change targets more efficiently and more affordably, while creating and sustaining thousands of British jobs.

Britain’s strategic advantage rests in 15 years of political consensus that tackling climate change can both benefit our planet and our economy.  The Climate Change Act of 2008, which put in place legally binding carbon reduction targets, passed in the House of Commons with near unanimity. Since then, successive governments have introduced progressive law and regulation such as the CfD and ETS to reduce Britain’s emissions while keeping our economy growing and our energy supplies secure.

Across the Atlantic, however, America has been unable to develop the same policy options – held back by a deep-seated political divide on climate change and a seemingly inseverable relationship with fossil fuels.  The Inflation Reduction Act has the potential to change that.  When Joe Biden spoke on the South Lawn of the White House, he was keen to position the law as something more than just a package of subsidies.  For him, it is a fundamental restatement of what matters to modern America: “Today offers proof that the soul of America is vibrant, the future of America is bright, and the promise of America is real.”

In Britain, tackling climate change has always mattered.  We’ve literally written the rulebook on it. With America now at the table, the question for the UK is, can we write the next chapter in time?

Drax response to Ofgem statement

31 May 2023

Sustainable bioenergy

Ofgem’s announcement states that the opening of an investigation does not imply any finding of non-compliance. It has separately confirmed that it has not established any non-compliance that would affect the issuance of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) to Drax, and therefore the associated financial benefit.

Like all energy generators, Drax receives regular requests from Ofgem and continues to cooperate fully throughout this process.

Last year Drax appointed a third party to independently verify the accuracy of its biomass sustainability and profiling data as part of an ongoing process. Drax is confident in the compliance of its biomass with the Renewables Obligation criteria.

A link to the Ofgem statement is below.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-investigating-drax-power-limiteds-compliance-reporting-requirements-relating-renewables-obligation 

 

Enquiries:
Drax Investor Relations: Mark Strafford
+44 (0) 7730 763 949

Media:
Drax External Communications: Chris Mostyn
+44 (0) 7548 838 896 

Website: www.Drax.com

Drax selects Houston, Texas as headquarters for bioenergy carbon capture business

24 May 2023

Press releases

Drax today announced it will establish its North American headquarters for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in Houston, Texas. The new office will serve as the hub for Drax’s team focused on bringing BECCS projects to fruition throughout the United States and Canada.

“With the growing global demand for high-quality carbon removals, Houston was a natural fit for our BECCS headquarters as it is the energy capital of the world with a proven, highly skilled workforce that will be needed to lead the world’s clean energy transition,” said Drax CEO Will Gardiner. “Additionally, the U.S. Gulf Coast has emerged as a major hub for carbon capture and sequestration investment and technology, a key component of the company’s plans to expand clean electric generation from renewable resources.”

BECCS is the only technology that can deliver reliable, dispatchable renewable power while permanently removing millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“We are thrilled at Drax’s announcement to name Houston as their BECCS headquarters, as it comes at a time of great momentum for Houston’s energy transition ecosystem and further positions the region as a leader in energy efficiency and carbon capture,” said Jane Stricker, Houston Energy Transition Initiative, Executive Director and SVP of Energy Transition at the Greater Houston Partnership.

Two initial sites in the U.S. south for deploying BECCS have been selected and are progressing. Drax continues to evaluate 9 further sites in North America, creating a pipeline of development opportunities into the 2030s.

“With additional sites under evaluation for further BECCS development, our new Houston office will allow the Drax team to accelerate its work in bringing cleaner and affordable electricity options to the market,” Gardiner said.

Drax has already started hiring what will eventually amount to over 100 new jobs in Texas to support the company’s rapid growth strategy, particularly focused on the development of new-build BECCS facilities, associated carbon capture and storage infrastructure, and the conversion of coal-fired electric generation plants to BECCS facilities across North America.

“Houston is uniquely positioned to lead the transition to a cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable, lower carbon world, and Drax’s ambition to become a carbon negative business by 2030 aligns with our regions expertise and continued investment,” said Stricker.

With increasing energy demand across the world, BECCS by Drax offers the opportunity for the energy industry and companies to invest in the world’s first carbon-negative power generation.

Drax’s office in Monroe, Louisiana will remain the headquarters for its North America Pellet Operations, which also includes regional offices in Vancouver and Prince George, Canada.

Contact Information:

Alex Schott
VP, Head of North America Communications
318-372-4091
[email protected]

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit http://www.drax.com/us

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.

Having converted Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonization project in Europe. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage) Incubation Area.

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.

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver four million tons of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.

Pellet production and supply:

The Group has 18 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around five million tons a year.

Drax is targeting eight million tons of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over three million tons of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.

Drax announces carbon removals deal with C-Zero

11 May 2023

News
  • C-Zero intends to buy 2,000 metric tonnes of carbon removals from Drax’s first US bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project for $300 per tonne. 
  • Drax aims to deliver 12 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide removals (CDRs) per year using BECCS by 2030. 

Drax has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with C-Zero Markets (“C-Zero”) in relation to the sale of carbon dioxide removal credits from Drax’s first US BECCS facility. Under the terms of the MoU, Drax and C-Zero will work together with a view to C-Zero acquiring 2,000 tonnes of CDRs for $300 USD per tonne.  

Carbon dioxide removals (CDRs) are used by organisations to balance their hard-to-abate carbon emissions, achieve a net zero and, in some cases, a carbon negative status. Longer lasting and lower risk carbon credits, such as the types generated by carbon removals technologies, are increasing in demand as more organisations look to hit their decarbonisation targets.  

Marc Bradbrook, Director of Business Development of Drax said, “Drax aims to be a global leader in BECCS – delivering renewable energy and carbon removals, while becoming a major player in this potentially trillion-dollar market.” 

“While the CDR market is still in early stages, the clear demand that we are seeing for removals alongside the progressive policies being developed in the US to support BECCS, is enabling the investment needed to spur this vital new sector of the economy.” 

“We hope this deal with C-Zero will demonstrate the continued growth of the sector and spur other companies to invest now to support the development of this vital market.” 

With the right government engagement, Drax plans to invest billions over the coming years in global carbon removals and renewable energy projects, with the aim of capturing 12Mt a year of carbon removals by 2030 globally and to be a global leader in carbon removal projects.  

Mike Ridler, Director of C-Zero Markets said, “I’m thrilled that the partnership with Drax will help solve the other half of the climate equation with carbon removal. This will be a crucial development in the market for our clients and us; we are already receiving huge interest.” 

“This market will evolve quickly, and being involved from the start is a game changer for us and, more importantly, our clients.” 

In 2022, Drax announced a deal with Respira, which could see the largest volume of carbon dioxide removals traded so far, a landmark moment for Drax, the development of a global carbon markets, and the fight against climate change.  

ENDS 

Media contacts: 

Sloan Woods
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07821665493

Editor’s Notes: 

  • The engineered CDR market has grown dramatically over the last 18 months with 600kt purchased in 2022 – a greater than fourfold increase from 2020. A further 280kt were sold in the first four months of 2023 according to cdr.fyi.  
  • Buyers are committing significant capital: Frontier committed over $1 billion USD and the First Movers Coalition (a group of more than 65 corporations) has committed to spending $25M USD each on purchasing CDRs. 

About Drax  

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.  

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com 

Power generation:  

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.   

Having converted 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.  

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.   

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets. 

Pellet production and supply:

The Group has 18 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year. 

Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.  

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia. 

Customers:    

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.  

To find out more go to the website https: www.drax.com/us/us-beccs-by-drax/ 

About C-Zero Markets 

C-Zero Markets provides environmental consultation, supporting companies and organisations with renewable energy solutions, emissions reduction and achieving carbon, compliance and net zero targets. Their goal is to help organisations achieve the highest emission reduction standards possible. 

Wind powers Britain more than gas for first time

10 May 2023

News

Wind vs gas: Almost a third (32.4%) of Britain’s electricity was supplied from wind power during the first quarter of 2023, outpacing gas which delivered 31.7%. It is the first-time wind has provided the largest share of power in any quarter in the history of the country’s electricity grid.

The findings have been released ahead of the next instalment of the quarterly Drax Electric Insights report. The publication is an independent report by academics from Imperial College London commissioned through Imperial Consultants.

Across the three months, Britain’s turbines generated 24 TWh of electricity – enough to charge more than 300 million Tesla Model Ys. Output from wind was 3% higher than during the same quarter last year, while gas was down by 5%.

Almost 42% of Britain’s electricity came from renewable sources (wind, solar, biomass, and hydro) in the first three months of 2023. Fossil fuels supplied 33%, with the rest coming from imports from abroad and the country’s shrinking nuclear fleet.Wind vs gas graph

Dr Iain Staffell of Imperial College London, and lead author of the quarterly Drax Electric Insights report series, commented on the mix of wind vs gas: “The renewable power revolution has transformed how Britain gets its electricity, making our power grid cleaner and greener.

“In the space of a decade the UK has almost completely cut out coal, after relying on the most polluting fossil fuel for over a century to power our country. There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil fuel-free grid, but wind out supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event, and shows what can be achieved when governments create a good environment for investors in clean technology.”

Britain has just one coal-fired power station left following Drax ending the use of the fuel at its plant in North Yorkshire last month. Once the largest coal-fired power station in Western Europe, the plant is now the single largest generator of renewable power in the UK. Over the last decade four of the power station’s six generating units have been converted to use sustainable biomass, providing the UK with clean, green, and secure renewable electricity.

Bruce Heppenstall, Drax Power Station Plant Director, said: “This is a remarkable achievement for the UK, and it comes at a vital time when cutting the use of foreign gas is critical to our national energy security. Throughout the energy crisis, biomass has also played a crucial role in providing the country with a reliable source of renewable power to displace fossil fuels from abroad.

“At Drax, we believe the UK must now focus on unlocking investment in carbon negative technologies, such as Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), which permanently remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they emit. Only BECCS can simultaneously remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst also generating reliable, renewable power when the wind isn’t blowing, or the sun is not shining.

“Countries across the world, and particularly the United States, are stepping up to address climate change, we believe the UK Government should accelerate its policy support for BECCS to give this country the best chance of establishing itself as a world leader in carbon removals, attracting further clean energy investment, creating jobs and delivering its net zero targets.”

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

Editor’s Notes:

In Q1 2023, Britain’s electricity fuel mix was:

  • Wind          32.4%  24.0 TWh
  • Gas           31.7%  23.4 TWh
  • Imports     12.6%  9.2 TWh
  • Nuclear     12.5%   9.2 TWh
  • Biomass    5.7%    4.2 TWh
  • Solar          2.3%    1.7 TWh
  • Hydro        1.5%    1.1 TWh
  • Coal           1.3%    0.9 TWh

 

  • The useable battery of a standard Tesla Model Y is 75 kWh, meaning 24 TWh of electricity could charge 320,000,000 of these vehicles.
  • Drax Power Station began co-firing biomass with coal in 2003, with the first of four full-unit conversions from coal to sustainable biomass taking place in 2013.
  • Drax’s UK generation assets are the country’s largest source of renewable power by output – 11% of annualised total, 19% of peak (up to 70% in-day peak) in 2022.

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.

Having converted 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.

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.

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.

Pellet production and supply:

The Group has 19 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year.

Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.

Customers: 

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.

To find out more go to the website www.energy.drax.com

Drax & the Coronation: Britain’s biggest power station lights up for the King

4 May 2023

News

Electricity has been generated by Drax since 1974 after it was built by the Central Electricity Generating Board, in an area of Yorkshire known as Megawatt Valley due to a fleet of coal-fired power stations which were built there in the 1960s-1980s.

Drax was not only the biggest, but it was also one of the most advanced and efficient coal-fired power stations ever built in the UK.

Nearly five decades on, Drax has announced the official end of coal-fired generation at its North Yorkshire power station, after having transformed itself to become the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe by using sustainable biomass, generating enough renewable electricity for four million households.

The announcement marks a historic milestone in both the company and the UK’s transformation to a zero-carbon energy future.

Drax and the Coronation

Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director, said:

“His Majesty King Charles III has shown great commitment to environmental and climate causes and Drax was delighted to be asked to be a member of his Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) in 2020. SMI enables industry executives to work together on delivering meaningful and actionable plans to help accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable future.

“We wanted to do something special to celebrate this major event in UK history and as our cooling towers are a major landmark that can be seen for miles around – we thought lighting up in honour of our King was a fitting tribute.”

The 114m tall cooling towers near Selby in North Yorkshire, will be lit up between 8:00pm until 1:00am every night from Friday 5th May to Monday 8th May. 

Drax’s tribute to the Coronation follows the cooling towers lighting up in red and blue last year to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee – and in September a tribute to the Queen was projected during the period of mourning.

ENDS

Media contacts: 

Megan Hopgood
Communications Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07936 350 175

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.

Having converted 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.

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.

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.

Pellet production and supply:

The Group has 19 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year.

Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.

Customers: 

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.

To find out more go to the website www.energy.drax.com

Drax ends half a century of coal-fired power generation

25 April 2023

News
  • Drax has announced that almost 50 years of power generation from coal at its North Yorkshire power station has come to an end.
  • Drax Power Station was once Western Europe’s largest coal-fired power station but has been transformed into the UK’s single-largest generator of renewable electricity.
  • Drax Power Station’s four biomass units generated 12.7TWh of electricity in 2022.

Global renewable energy company Drax has today announced the official end of coal-fired generation at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, marking a historic milestone in both the company and the UK’s transformation to a zero-carbon energy future.

Following the discovery of the Selby coalfield, construction of the coal-fired Drax Power Station began nearby in 1967. The power station started generating power out of its first unit in 1974 and in 1975, following the completion of two additional generators, the site officially opened. At the time, this provided enough power for around two million homes and in 1986, power generation capacity was doubled to just under 4GW.

Once the largest coal-fired power station in Western Europe, the plant is now the single largest generator of renewable power in the UK. Over the last decade four of the power station’s six generating units have been converted to use sustainable biomass, providing the UK with clean, green, and secure renewable electricity.

Following the end of the winter contingency agreement, Drax will now embark on a decommissioning process to remove coal-related infrastructure from the site which will start with the flue gas desulphurisation plant that was built in the 1990s to remove 90% of the sulphur from the plant’s air emissions.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“Ending the use of coal at Drax is a landmark moment in our efforts to become a world-leading carbon negative company.

“I’d like to thank the many hundreds of people, including our staff, suppliers, and local communities, for all the hard work it has taken to transform Drax Power Station into the UK’s biggest renewable power source by output.

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

“We’re now planning to go further by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, and we are engaged in discussions with the UK Government to move this £2bn project forward.

“The global momentum for converting coal-fired power stations to biomass is growing as more countries work to reduce their emissions by moving away from fossil fuels to renewables while maintaining their energy security. In recent months, new projects have been announced in countries from Japan to Hungary. If BECCS were eventually added to each of these sites they would be able to remove carbon from the atmosphere while generating power.”

The UK Government aims to deploy 5Mt of engineered CO2 removals per annum from BECCS and other engineered GGR technologies by 2030, rising to 23Mt in 2035 and up to 81Mt in 2050 to keep the UK on a pathway to meet its legislated climate targets.

Through transforming the plant to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by approximately 99% since 2012.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

Editor’s Notes:

  • Coal-fired generation began in 1974 when the first 660 MW unit was commissioned.
  • The station began co-firing biomass with coal in 2003, with the first of four full-unit conversions from coal to sustainable biomass taking place in 2013.
  • Drax’s UK generation assets are the country’s largest source of renewable power by output – 11% of annualised total, 19% of peak (up to 70% in-day peak) in 2022.

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.

Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of renewable electricity generation assets in England and Scotland. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies five percent of the country’s electricity needs.

Having converted 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. It is also where Drax is piloting the groundbreaking negative emissions technology BECCS within its CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage) Incubation Area.

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.

The Group also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver 4 million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.

Pellet production and supply:
The Group has 19 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year.

Drax is targeting 8 million tonnes of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 million tonnes of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.

Customers: 

Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK businesses, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.

To find out more go to the website www.energy.drax.com