A Drax spokesperson said:
“As part of the maintenance regime for Drax’s coal units, the power station will be running one of its units on Friday for a short period. Whilst this will generate power and has been agreed with National Grid ESO, this generation is not an instruction under the terms of the winter contingency contract we have agreed with them.
“The unit is not operating commercially and will not receive direct compensation for this maintenance generation.
“We are proud to be able to provide the extra capacity from our coal units this winter, should it be required, to bolster UK energy security and help keep the lights on for millions of homes and businesses.”
ENDS
Background
- At the request of the UK Government, Drax agreed to delay the planned closure of its two coal-fired units and help bolster the UK’s energy security this winter, following Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- Under the winter contingency agreement with National Grid ESO, Drax is allowed to seek permission to run parts of the plant for operational reasons for limited time periods.
- We have agreed today’s operational run of the unit with National Grid ESO.
- Drax remains committed to a coal-free future for the plant as the UK’s long-term energy security depends on investing in innovative green technologies like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which Drax plans to deploy in the 2020s, to permanently remove 8 million tonnes of CO2 each year from the atmosphere by 2030, whilst providing reliable, renewable power to the system.
