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Drax achieves industry-leading safety record
Drax achieved an industry-leading safety record during 2019 with Morehouse BioEnergy, one of its compressed wood pellet plants located in Bastrop, surpassing the two-year mark with no recordable safety incidents. At its port operation in Baton Rouge, the company has achieved five and a half years with no lost time or recordable injuries.
“We are proud to have achieved these safety milestones which are a testament to an ever-growing focus, mindset and culture built around operating safely,” said Matt White, Senior Vice President of Drax Biomass. “The safety of our employees, vendors and suppliers is priority one at Drax, and we continually evaluate, train and hone our processes and procedures to create an environment that is conducive to success.”
Morehouse BioEnergy
Key Facts
- For 2019 in the US, the Drax TRIR (total recordable incident rate) was .42 while its OSHA RI (Occupational Safety and Health Administration Recordable Incident) rate was .92.
- The 2017 average OSHA RI rate for our industry was 3.0. https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm
- Drax is a subsidiary of Drax Group, plc, which is enabling a zero carbon, lower cost energy future.
- Drax operates three compressed wood pellet plants – Morehouse Bioenergy in Bastrop, LA; LaSalle Bioenergy in Urania, LA; and Amite Bioenergy in Gloster, MS.
- The company ships its pellets to the UK and manages a port operation at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.
About Drax Biomass
Drax Biomass Inc. is a manufacturer of compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests. Headquartered in Monroe, LA, with operations in the Southeastern U.S., the company is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate by promoting sustainable forestry and investing in local economic development.
Media Contact:
Annmarie Sartor
Drax’s new biomass policy paves the way for world-leading sustainability standard
An Independent Advisory Board (IAB), led by former UK government chief scientific adviser Sir John Beddington, was appointed by Drax in October when it published a strengthened sourcing policy to ensure the biomass it uses to produce 12% of Britain’s renewable electricity meets the highest sustainability standards.
In its first report the IAB has found that Drax’s sustainable biomass sourcing reflects the recommendations made by Forest Research – the research agency of the Forestry Commission, which is widely considered to be the industry gold standard.
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner said:
“The work of the IAB is vital in guiding and challenging us to be as sustainable and transparent as we can be. I am reassured to know that our existing policies reflect the Forestry Commission’s recommendations and we’ll continue to work with the Board to strive for greater excellence across our operations.
“We recently announced our ambition to become the world’s first carbon negative company by using sustainable biomass with carbon capture and storage technology. To achieve this, we need to go further in our efforts to lead the world on biomass sustainability standards, positively contributing to our climate, the environment and the communities in which we operate.”
The IAB also recommended consideration is given to a review of existing evidence on sustainable biomass to advance understanding among academics, policy makers and environmental groups.
Such a “restatement of evidence” would be aimed at fostering agreement amongst scientists and environmental groups on the role of sustainable biomass, sharing information with third parties on Drax’s operations and using scientific evidence to identify points of agreement, disagreement and areas which need further study.
The IAB’s chair John Beddington said:
“It’s a complex area to navigate and if some common ground based on the scientific evidence can be agreed, it creates a framework to help ensure the right types of biomass are used which make the greatest contribution towards addressing the climate emergency.”
The UK’s Committee on Climate Change has said that biomass will play a critical role in achieving the UK’s 2050 net zero target.
The IAB, which meets twice a year, will produce a written report of its conclusions and recommendations for Drax after its meetings and a summary of these will be published on the Drax website. The IAB held its first meeting on November 15, 2019.
ENDS
Media contacts
Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
[email protected]
07712 670 888
Editor’s Notes
Forest Research (2018) Biomass Carbon Impacts, report for the European Climate Foundation has been cited by a number of organisations including the UK Committee on Climate Change in its Biomass in a Low Carbon Economy report.
Drax set up the IAB in 2019 alongside its new strengthened biomass sustainability policy, which goes beyond existing regulations, to ensure the company’s biomass sourcing continues to improve with the latest science and best practice.
The “restatement of the evidence” the IAB has suggested is an independently run process based on input from scientists with varying points of view, consultation with industry, non-governmental organisations and policy makers.
Sir John Beddington also said in his letter to Drax that the board wanted to explore how science regarding the use of early thinnings and small roundwood can further develop. Drax has initiated a programme of independent analysis on the environmental and economic impacts in the areas where it sources its wood. It will be sharing this with the IAB for its scrutiny and insight.
The IAB acts as a forum for engagement between sustainable biomass experts and Drax and is tasked to advise and give feedback on feedstock options, sourcing decisions, procurement practices, forest science and forest carbon science.
The IAB also advises on the role of biomass in Drax’s climate change mitigation activities and in supporting the transition to a net zero energy system, as well as providing insight on society’s expectations for responsible and sustainable biomass.
- Members of Drax’s Independent Advisory Board are:
- Professor Sir John Beddington (Chair) – former UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser
- Professor Lord John Krebs (Vice Chair) – Emeritus Professor of Zoology, University of Oxford and crossbench member of the House of Lords
- Virginia Dale – Adjunct Professor, University of Tennessee
- Professor Sam Fankhauser – Director of the LSE Grantham Institute
- Elena Schmidt – Standards Director, Roundtable on Sustainable Biomass
- Forest Research (Ex-Officio) – A representative from Forest Research, the UK’s primary organisation for forest science will also join the Board in an ex-officio capacity
- The Board provides independent advice to Drax on:
- The role of biomass in Drax’s climate change mitigation activities and in supporting the transition to a net zero energy system
- Feedstock options, sourcing decisions, forest science, forest carbon science and how Drax can optimise carbon impacts
- Procurement practices
- Societal expectations for responsible and sustainable biomass
- And gives feedback and recommendations on Drax’s sustainable biomass approach and performance
- More information on the Board can be found here
- Drax’s biomass sourcing policy has four key commitments:
- To reduce CO2 emissions
- To protect the natural environment
- To support people and communities
- To carry out research, outreach and intervention
- More information on Drax’s biomass sourcing policy can be found here
- In December, Drax published the first in a series of independent reports on the environmental and economic impacts in the areas where it sources its wood.
- Hood Consulting’s report highlighted the positive role the Amite Bioenergy pellet plant has had in the region supporting the health of western Mississippi’s forests and its economy.
About Drax
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.
Power generation:
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.
Customers:
Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:
- Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
- Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.
Pellet production:
Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.
For more information visit www.drax.com/us
Trafford College visits Europe’s biggest carbon saving project
The group of 23 students aged between 18 and 25, visited Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, which has upgraded two thirds of its generating capacity to use compressed wood pellets in place of coal.
This has transformed the plant to become the UK’s largest renewable power generator – producing enough electricity for four million homes – and Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project.
It has also paved the way for Drax to pioneer ground-breaking bio energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. If BECCS can be used across all four of its biomass generating units, Drax could become the world’s first negative emissions power station, helping it to make an even greater contribution towards tackling the climate emergency.
Students were taken on a full tour of the site including the innovative BECCS pilot plant which is capturing a tonne of CO2 each day, the 427-metre turbine hall that houses the six huge turbines which power the generators to produce electricity.
They also enjoyed a close-up view of the UK’s first wood pellet storage domes, each large enough to fit The Royal Albert Hall inside, and the 12 cooling towers, which at 115 metres high are taller than the Statue of Liberty.
Drax Group’s Head of Business Sustainability, Vicky Bullivant, said:
“By providing tours at Drax Power Station we want to further students’ understanding of how electricity is produced and hopefully fire their imaginations and inspire them to study STEM subjects by showing them some of the pioneering technologies we’re trying, like BECCS, which could play a vital role in addressing the climate crisis.”
During the tour, pupils learnt how renewable electricity is generated and discovered how sustainable, compressed wood pellets have enabled Drax to reduce its carbon emissions by more than 80% compared to when those generating units used coal.
Bertin Speaks, from Trafford College, who organised the visit, said:
“The students had a great day at Drax, learning about how the electricity system works and where our electricity is generated. Visits like this are so valuable because seeing the power station and the scale of the operations is impossible to replicate in a classroom – it really brings the subject to life.”
Drax has a long tradition of supporting education and helping to inspire the engineers of the future by encouraging greater interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. Last year it invested £35,000 in the GreenPower initiative involving seven local schools and colleges in building and racing electric vehicles.
The Trafford College students are among over 12,000 visitors to Drax every year. Tours are free to all primary and secondary schools and can be tailored to suit the area of the curriculum teachers are interested in.
For further information on school tours at Drax visit the website at www.drax.com/us.
Image Caption: Trafford College outside the Biomass domes at Drax Power Station.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
[email protected]
07712 670 888
Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07912230393
About Drax
Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.
Power generation:
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.
Customers:
Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:
- Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
- Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.
Pellet production:
Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.
For more information visit www.drax.com/us
Companies meet to discuss negative emissions ambitions
In August 2019 Velocys’ subsidiary Altalto Immingham Limited, a collaboration with British Airways and Shell, submitted plans for Europe’s first commercial waste-to-jet-fuel plant near Immingham on the South Bank of the Humber. The company has since voiced its support for the Zero Carbon Humber campaign, which is seeking to develop a large-scale carbon dioxide transport and storage network in the Humber that would significantly reduce emissions and create new job opportunities for the region.
Dr Neville Hargreaves, VP Waste to Fuels, Velocys, said:
“Subject to planning consent and financing, our Altalto Immingham project could be producing sustainable aviation fuel as soon as 2024. Velocys has a robust technological solution for this challenging sector which addresses one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and can help the UK meet its net zero target.”
“Furthermore, we’ll also produce a capture-ready stream of carbon dioxide, and thus a transport and storage network in the Humber would allow us to make negative emission fuels, delivering a further environmental benefit.”
Steve Drayton (Director of Innovation, Drax), Dr Neville Hargreaves (VP Waste to Fuels, Velocys), Brian Greensmith (Drax), Richard Gwilliam (Drax), Martin Hopkins (Velocys)
Steve Drayton, Director of Innovation at Drax said:
“There are some interesting synergies between our ambitions at Drax to become the world’s first carbon negative company and Velocys’ plans to produce carbon negative fuels in the Humber.
“Having innovative businesses like Velocys in the Humber region makes a zero carbon industrial cluster here an exciting possibility, which will result in new jobs and clean growth delivering for the environment as well as the economy.”
The Zero Carbon Humber campaign aims to create the UK’s first net zero industrial cluster in the region which could make a bigger contribution to UK’s climate goals than any other industrial cluster – capturing 15% of the UK’s current annual CO2 emissions.
By using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) Drax will be able to remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces, creating a negative carbon footprint for the company.
CCUS incubation area, Drax Power Station; click image to view/download.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
[email protected]
07712 670 888
Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07912230393
Notes to editors:
Drax was the first company in the world to announce an ambition to become carbon negative by 2030 when CEO Will Gardiner spoke at COP 25 in Madrid in December.
Sustainable biomass is an important part of the UK’s long-term energy mix. Combining this renewable fuel with carbon capture and storage technology on Drax’s biomass generating units at its power station in North Yorkshire, England, means the Group’s operations could capture 16 million tonnes of CO2 a year or more – a significant proportion of the UK’s target.
Drax announced it had captured the first carbon dioxide from its pioneering BECCS pilot project earlier this year.
The UK Committee on Climate Change’s ‘Net Zero’ report states that BECCS could generate up to 173 TWh of electricity by 2050, capturing up to 51 million tonnes of CO2 – around half of the remaining carbon in the economy that the UK will need to capture to become ‘net zero’.
Drax launched the Zero Carbon Humber campaign in September with partners Equinor and National Grid Ventures, aimed at creating the world’s first zero carbon industrial cluster in the region.
About Drax
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.
Power generation:
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.
Customers:
Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:
- Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
- Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.
Pellet production:
Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.
For more information visit www.drax.com/us
Velocys
Velocys is sustainable fuels technology company. Velocys designed, developed and now licences proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology for the generation of clean, low carbon, synthetic drop-in aviation and transport fuel from municipal solid waste and waste woody biomass. Velocys is currently developing projects in Natchez, Mississippi, USA (incorporating Carbon Capture Use and Storage) and Immingham, UK to produce fuels that significantly reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and key exhaust pollutants for aviation and road transport. Originally a spin-out from Oxford University, in 2008 the company acquired a US company based on complementary technology developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Velocys is headquartered in Oxford in the United Kingdom.
www.velocys.com
Drax Power Station’s 2020 apprentice scheme opens to applicants
- An award-winning Drax apprentice has encouraged budding engineers to follow in his footsteps and start their careers at the UK’s biggest renewable power station in 2020.
Kai Lewis, who was named Drax Power Station’s Uniper Engineering Academy Apprentice of the Year in October, has urged would-be applicants not to miss out on the chance to start a career with Drax – the world’s first company to announce an ambition to become carbon negative – and submit their applications before the end of January.
Kai, who is in the second year of his apprenticeship, said:
“There’s so much technical ability at Drax to learn from, it’s a fantastic start for all of us so early in our careers and this year’s intake of apprentices will be no different. There’s so much going on, it’s a real chance to play a part in an energy sector, which is changing really quickly.
“It’s been an amazing start to my career. I’ve still got lots to learn but it’s great experience.”
Photo of Kai Lewis (centre) receiving the Uniper Engineering Academy Apprentice of the Year Award alongside Mike Maudsley (left), Drax’s UK Portfolio Generation Director and BBC Look North’s Harry Gration (right).
Andy Koss, CEO Generation, said:
“There’s no better way to start a career in engineering than here at Drax. Groundbreaking technologies are being piloted by our world class engineers, which could enable Drax to be the first company globally to be carbon negative, making a major contribution towards addressing the climate crisis.
“Every business in the Northern Powerhouse region has a role to play in creating opportunities for young people and raising aspirations – encouraging them to develop the skills they’ll need in the future. Apprentices are not only vital to the long-term future of our business – they also possess the future talent needed to ensure the UK meets its net zero carbon by 2050 targets.”
Applications for Control and Instrumentation Engineering, and Electrical Engineering apprentices close on Friday January 31 with successful applicants taking up their posts in August 2020.
Drax is keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds and to encourage diversity.
To apply or find out more about the apprenticeships available, visit the Drax website.
ENDS
Media contacts:
Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07849090368
Lily Pettifar
Drax Group Media Intern
[email protected]
07719 559556
Notes to editors:
- Drax became the first business in the world to announce an ambition to become carbon negative when Group CEO Will Gardiner spoke at COP25 in December. It plans to achieve this by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology, on its biomass generating units at Drax Power Station.
- Becoming carbon negative would mean it would be removing more carbon dioxide than it emits across the whole of the Group’s operations, whilst producing the flexible, renewable electricity millions of homes and businesses rely on.
About Drax
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.
Power generation:
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.
Customers:
Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:
- Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
- Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.
Pellet production:
Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.
For more information visit www.drax.com/us
Drax Biomass appoints new leader
Drax Biomass produces sustainable, compressed wood pellets used to generate flexible, renewable electricity in Drax Power Station in England, delivering carbon savings of more than 80% compared to when it used coal.
Drax Biomass uses the port in Baton Rouge/Port Allen and three compressed wood pellet plants: Morehouse BioEnergy in Bastrop, LA; LaSalle BioEnergy in Urania, LA; and Amite BioEnergy in Gloster, MS.
The company recently announced plans to increase the amount of biomass it supplies to its own power station in the UK from 1.2 million to 5 million tonnes per year.
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner [click to view/download]
Will Gardiner, Chief Executive of Drax Group, said:
“I am pleased to welcome Matt to Drax Group. Our purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and the sustainably sourced wood pellets which Drax Biomass makes are crucial to that.
“Using wood pellets as a source of electricity is great for forests because long-term markets for the low-value wood fibre we use encourages replanting and better forest management. It also supports rural communities in Louisiana and Mississippi.”
Matt White said:
“This is an exciting time to join Drax Biomass as the business seeks to grow its wood pellet output to 5 million tonnes per year while maintaining a focus on safety and operational excellence. Drax has an impressive commitment to support the communities in which it operates by promoting sustainable forestry and investing in local development, so I am looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”
Matt White. Click to view/download.
Matt joins Drax from Rockwater Energy (now Select Energy Services), a chemicals and logistics provider to the oil industry where he was Director, Manufacturing & Engineering.
Most of Matt’s career has been in manufacturing management helping organizations, grow, adapt to change and increase safety and efficiency by developing high-performing teams. A mechanical engineer by background, Matt has worked in a number of sectors including air products and chemicals, and with Solvay’s guar/oxide manufacturing.
Reporting to Matt will be:
- Todd Tolkinen – VP Commercial Operations responsible for business development, environment, safety and legal and compliance
- Jim Stemple – Senior Director Procurement
- Randy Webster – Director of Engineering
- Richard Lamb – VP Operations responsible for our plants and logistics
Key Facts
- Drax Biomass is a subsidiary of the UK energy Drax Group, plc whose purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future.
- Drax Biomass employs about 190 people in Louisiana and approximately 65 in Mississippi.
- Drax Biomass has implemented a sustainable approach to doing business. This commitment to sustainability guides every aspect of the company’s operations, from wood sourcing to pellet production to shipment of finished products.
ENDS
Main photo caption: Drax’s LaSalle BioEnergy compressed wood pellet plant in Louisiana. View/download.
Media Contact:
Annmarie Sartor
Drax Biomass Communications Officer
[email protected]
About Drax Biomass
Drax Biomass Inc. is a manufacturer of compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests. Headquartered in Monroe, LA, with operations across the Southeastern U.S., the company is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate by promoting sustainable forestry and investing in local economic development.
New tartan to commemorate workers who died building unique Scottish power station
The design, based on the Clan MacColl tartan sett, uses 15 strands of a special dark blue thread to represent those who tragically lost their lives building what was the world’s first reversible pumped storage hydro system, located in the Western Highlands of Scotland.
Ian Kinnaird, Head of Hydro at Drax, said:
“Building this unique power station was an astonishing feat of engineering, completed in challenging conditions. The work was physically demanding and at times, incredibly dangerous. Sadly, during the course of the construction, 15 men lost their lives.
“When we were commissioning this new tartan, we decided it was a fitting tribute to incorporate 15 dark blue threads in memory of those who tragically died – many of whom were very young.”
Between 1959 and 1965, a 4,000-strong workforce built the power station on the shore of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute – 1,300 of them were known as ‘Tunnel Tigers’ – the men at the forefront of the work. They drilled, blasted and cleared the rocks from the inside of the mountain.
Barbara McCabe, aged 81. Click to view/download.
One of those who died was 23-year-old Edward Gallagher, from Donegal – the fiancé of Barbara McCabe, now 81, who lives in Inverness-shire.
Mrs McCabe explained how she got engaged to Edward on December 21, 1961 and they were planning to get married the following September.
However, tragedy struck just before Easter 1962, when loose rock in the ceiling of a tunnel fell down – the force of which was so strong, it pulled Edward out of his protective footwear.
“He was such a lovely, lovely man,” Mrs McCabe, recalled. “Eddie’s father sent me a telegram and what it said was: ‘Is Eddie alright?’ I didn’t know what it meant, I was busy getting ready for Eddie coming down so we could spend Easter together.
“He shouldn’t have been at work, but he’d swapped shifts with someone else who wanted to go home early for Easter – that was what Eddie was like. He was a great young man, always doing things like that to help people.”
Edward Gallagher with Barbara at Queen’s Park in Glasgow, 1961. Click to view/download.
Mrs McCabe explained that Mr Gallagher’s father travelled across from Ireland and they went together to the cottage hospital at Oban where Edward was being treated.
“When I saw Eddie, there wasn’t a mark on his face – but we were told his injuries were so severe there was no hope of survival. He passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday – the 23rd of April 1962.”
Mrs McCabe has always stayed in touch with Mr Gallagher’s family in Donegal and has visited his grave at a chapel in the village of Termon, near Letterkenny.
Of the tartan Drax has commissioned, she said:
“I think it’s a lovely way to make sure Eddie and the others who died are always remembered. I’ve told his family about it and I’m going to be sending them one of the new tartan scarves this Christmas.”
Edward Gallagher (L), February 1962. Click to view/download.
Hollowing out the Ben Cruachan mountain was done by hand-drilling two to three-metre-deep holes into the granite rockface. Gelignite was packed into the drilled holes and detonated – blasted rocks were then removed by bulldozers, trucks and shovels, before drilling began on a fresh section of exposed granite. Eventually some 220,000 cubic metres of rubble was removed.
Ian MacLean, from Oban, was a 20-year-old joiner when he started working at Cruachan in 1962. He said:
“I worked as a joiner on the roof of what is the machine hall now. The noise from the blasting was incredible – you didn’t just hear it, you felt it too.
“There was a lot of dust, but what bothered us the most was the smell – it was horrible. There were fumes from the explosives as well as the dump truck’s diesel engines that were running all the time – and we didn’t have masks to wear. Some days the air was so thick you could only see a few yards in front of where you were standing.”
Ian MacLean looking at the machine hall inside Cruachan. Click to view/download.
In total, 20km of tunnels and chambers were excavated, including the kilometre-long entrance tunnel and the 91-metre-long, 36-metre-high machine hall.
The 77-year-old says that despite the conditions he worked in, it was an interesting job and he earned good money:
“When I finished as an apprentice joiner I was earning £9 a week – when I started working at Cruachan I was on treble that. The conditions we were working in were tough – but I met some great people and we were young. It’s just what we did.”
Ian Kinnard (L) and Ian MacLean (R) inside Cruachan. Click to view/download.
Polish and Irish labourers worked alongside Scots, as well as displaced Europeans, prisoners of the second world war and even workers from as far away as Asia.
The 15 men who died are remembered at Cruachan in a mural on the wall of the turbine hall at the heart of the power station and now visitors to the award-winning ‘Hollow Mountain’ visitor centre will see the new tartan waistcoats worn by guides.
Sarah Cameron, Drax’s Manager of the Hollow Mountain visitor centre at Cruachan, added:
“Our visitor centre guides will proudly wear the tartan on their waistcoats and continue to tell the stories about how this unique power station was built. It’s important that we remember the 15 men who died and the many others who were injured building this unique power station.”
The new tartan, made by Kinloch Anderson in Edinburgh, based on the Clan MacColl Sett, which was created in respect of Sir Edward MacColl, the brainchild and pioneer of Cruachan Power Station, has also been used to make some special scarves, available to buy from the visitor centre shop.
The Hollow Mountain visitor centre’s interactive exhibitions and displays help bring the history of the power station to life and explain how electricity is generated. There is also a café, gift shop and picnic area.
The visitor centre is closed now for Christmas and the New Year – reopening in February. To find out more or to book a tour go to the website.
Main photo caption:
- Ian MacLean (CR), Ian Kinnaird (C), and Sarah Cameron (R) and visitor staff
- View/download in high resolution
ENDS
Media contacts:
Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07849090368
Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media and PR
[email protected]
07712670888
Editor’s Notes
- Read more about the men who built Cruachan on the Drax website.
- Drax acquired Cruachan power station at the end of 2018, when it bought a portfolio of flexible, renewable and low-carbon power stations located across Scotland and England.
- Since then, the visitor centre has been renovated and Drax has also introduced free school tours during term time as part of the company’s efforts to boost STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills.
- 50,000 people visit Cruachan Power Station each year and take guided tours inside the subterranean world of the power station, where they can see the machine hall and learn about its history and the feat of engineering required to build it.
- Cruachan is one of four pumped hydro storage stations in the UK and has a capacity of 440 MW – enough to power more than 90,000 homes during peak demand.
- Built on the shores of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute, it was the first reversible pumped storage hydro system on this scale to be built in the world.
- The turbine hall is located 1 km within the hollowed-out mountain of Ben Cruachan and houses four generators, supplying a range of vital balancing and ancillary services to the grid, such as frequency control, spinning and operating reserves, helping to maintain secure power supplies.
- Drax’s Scottish operations include hydro facilities in Galloway and Lanark and a biomass-from-waste plant at Daldowie, near Glasgow, along with Cruachan, all of which were acquired at the end of last year.
About Drax
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.
Power generation:
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of Drax Power Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal it has become the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
Its pumped storage, hydro and energy from waste assets in Scotland include Cruachan Power Station – a flexible pumped storage facility within the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan. It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.
Customers:
Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:
- Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
- Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.
Pellet production:
Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.
For more information visit www.drax.com/us
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I offers green energy to pubs
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The programme supports the brewer’s ambitious Sustainability Goals while helping customers save on their monthly energy bills
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The programme, in partnership with Opus Energy, is currently in a pilot phase and will roll out nationwide in Spring 2020
The launch follows customer research which revealed that energy bills score high on the list of priorities for pubs and bars looking to reduce costs.[1] As such, Budweiser Brewing Group is evolving its offering — directly addressing the needs and demands of pub and bar operators up and down the country, while helping to reduce their environmental impact.
The exclusive renewable electricity tariff is offered by Opus Energy, part of Drax Group, and is guaranteed to be cheaper than any other deal found through price comparison or third-party alternatives, with a saving of up to 30% from existing standard renewal prices from other suppliers.
Pubs and bars which take advantage of the exclusive deal will join over 355,000 business premises in the UK currently powered by renewable electricity from Opus Energy. The programme is currently in pilot phase with 100 pubs and will roll out in Spring 2020, helping more businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and contribute to tackling the climate crisis.
Paula Lindenberg, President at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I says,
“For us, sustainability isn’t just about looking at our own operations — it’s also about looking outward and supporting our customers. We know that our customers are eager to save on energy costs, and that consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever, so this really is a sweet spot where we can make a difference.”
Marc Montgomery, Director of SME Direct, Opus Energy says,
“We’re thrilled to team up with Budweiser Brewing Group to supply renewable electricity to more pubs and bars across the UK. Enabling a zero carbon, lower cost energy future for businesses is our purpose, and this partnership will help more pubs to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute towards the UK’s net zero carbon targets.”
This deal is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives by Budweiser Brewing Group. Last year, it signed the UK’s biggest unsubsidised solar power deal with Lightsource BP to brew Budweiser with 100% renewable electricity for its UK operations by the end of 2020.
With completion of the new UK solar farm expected by mid-2020, all UK-brewed Budweiser will begin to feature a new symbol to encourage consumers to choose a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity. Similarly, Budweiser Brewing Group will offer window decals for pubs that sign up to the Opus Energy deal.
The investment in UK solar reinforces the brewer’s commitment to its 2025 Sustainability Goals, which includes the target of a 25% reduction to carbon emissions across its value chain against a 2017 baseline – the equivalent of taking more than 1.5 million cars off the road each year.
Drax Group is the first business in the world to announce an ambition to become carbon negative by 2030 – making a major contribution towards global efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), Drax will remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces, creating a negative carbon footprint for the company.
To find out more about switching to a Budweiser Renewable Energy Tariff, contact [email protected].
ENDS
Photo caption: Photo by Victor Freitas
For more information, please contact:
3 Monkeys Zeno on behalf of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I:
Notes to Editors:
About Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is the trading name of AB InBev UK Limited, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ABI) and South Africa (JSE: ANB) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I remains a proud part of AB InBev globally. In the UK, Budweiser Brewing Group employs 1,000 people in our three breweries in Magor, South Wales, Samlesbury, Lancashire and Enfield, North London and in our local headquarters in Central London.
We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to offer the UK’s leading premium beer and cider brands, including global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Bud Light®, Michelob Ultra®, Beck’s®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bass® and Boddingtons®.
We are here to champion Britain’s iconic beer culture, from barley farmers to pubs and retail; we are a founding member of the Portman Group, member of the British Beer and Pub Association and supporter of the Drinkaware Trust. We are also members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Renewable and Sustainability Energy and the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group. Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Learn more at www.budweiserbrewinggroup.co.uk or on Twitter through @BudBrewingUKI
For more information about Anheuser-Busch InBev, please visit www.AB InBev.com.
About Opus Energy
Opus Energy is the UK’s fifth-biggest business energy supplier, supplying electricity and gas to more than 355,000 business premises across the UK. It employs over 900 people between Northampton, Oxford and Cardiff.
Generating 100% of its electricity from renewable sources last year and purchasing power from over 2,100 renewable generators in the UK, Opus Energy is part of Drax Group and is committed to delivering a low-cost, zero-carbon energy future.
For more detailed information please visit https://www.opusenergy.com/
[1] BBPA, ALMR 2019
