Archives: Press Release

Drax sponsors food drive to help feed homeless veterans

26 July 2023

News

As part of our efforts to engage with the communities where we operate and improve the lives of local community members, renewable energy company Drax helped to sponsor KTVE and KARD’s 5th Annual Homeless Veterans Food Drive in Monroe. 

The food drive in June was led by the news station and designed to help local homeless veterans as a way to celebrate Founders Day. It saw volunteers from Drax helping to deliver goods to The Wellspring’s food pantry, a food bank that the homeless have access to all year-round. The Wellspring organization focuses on helping individuals and families that results in improved quality of life and brighter futures. 

In addition to the food drive, Drax also sponsors a running segment on KTVE that salutes and honors local veterans. 

“Nearly a quarter of the nation’s homeless population are veterans, so it is imperative that we work together to help them and all in need in our communities,” said Annmarie Sartor, U.S. Community Manager for Drax. “This food drive is just one way Drax is working to give back to our local residents in Monroe.” 

Leading Think Tank Releases Report on Importance of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture (BECCS) to Achieve Global Climate Goals

5 July 2023

News

The Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) has released a new report focused on actionable pathways for deploying bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) at scale.

The report – Taking Root: A Policy Blueprint for Responsible BECCS Development in the United States –affirms how BECCS can advance decarbonization needs by providing the permanent removal of greenhouses gases from the atmosphere while also accelerating the decarbonization of the electric grid with firm and dispatchable climate-friendly power.

The report was released at an event Tuesday afternoon in Washington D.C. co-hosted by the EFI Foundation and Resources for the Future. The event included remarks from Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, President and CEO of the EFI Foundation.

“Leading projections for keeping global temperature rise to below two degrees rely in significant BECCS deployment,” said Moniz. “EFI has examined the opportunities and challenges for meeting this goal and recommends steps to get there.”

EFI’s roadmap outlines the clear need for establishing a holistic policy framework to guide BECCS development, highlighting the technology’s unique potential to offer net-negative emissions at a large scale while also providing a steady, economically feasible energy supply. Notably, the authors state that the emerging sector has the potential to make a significant difference if provided with improved financing.

“I am particularly interested in the opportunities that BECCS might provide for our forest managers and our communities,” said Sen. Heinrich. “It could help make profitable the removal of small diameter woody fuels that are often destined to act as ladder fuels for wildfires.”

As it relates to wildfire mitigation opportunities, the EFI report notes that integrated wildfire management and BECCS feedstock collection not only will close the carbon cycle; it also will reduce other atmospheric pollution caused by the current practice of thinning and prescribed burning.

“With regards to BECCS, the best is yet to come,” said Sen. Cassidy. “In Louisiana, we’ve long turned wood into wood pellets for use in bioenergy plants, and now we have multiple companies exploring the development of new BECCS plants in the region – creating more jobs and providing an avenue for Louisiana to remain a global leader in energy production.”

Eight major elements of the report are organized into three broad themes:

1) policies to expand and accelerate BECCS deployment;

2) leveraging the social, economic, and environmental co-benefits of BECCS; and

3) rules of the road to promote responsible development of BECCS.

The Biden Administration’s commitment to reducing economy-wide GHG emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030—along with the longer-term goal of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050— highlights the importance of rapid deployment of CDR technologies in the United States.

“We are very pleased to see the EFI report is emphatic in its embrace of BECCS as a key climate solution,” said Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax. “To achieve net zero, governments must support carbon dioxide removal solutions, including BECCS. If properly supported, the U.S. offers a promising environment to deploy BECCS, with the potential to remove up to 2.2 gigatons of CO2 per year,” said Gardiner.

“Over the past two years, Drax has been progressing a Global BECCS program, with a primary focus in North America. Two initial sites in the US South have been selected with nine more sites under evaluation, creating a pipeline of development opportunities by 2030,” Gardiner explained. “If the policy recommendations in the report were implemented, this would enable Drax to invest billions of dollars in deploying BECCS earlier and in turn unlock climate, economic and environmental benefits for our communities.”

The EFI report, which was sponsored by the Hewlett Foundation, Battelle, Drax and Enviva, can be viewed here.

— ### —

Contact Information:

Alex Schott 
VP, 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 https://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 Group CEO Will Gardiner issues statement on new U.S. think tank report about BECCS

27 June 2023

News

The report – Taking Root: A Policy Blueprint for Responsible BECCS Development in the United States –affirms how BECCS can advance decarbonization needs through dispatchable renewable power production and carbon capture with sequestration to further cement the U.S. as a climate leader in meeting net zero goals.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner, said:

“We are very pleased to see the EFI report is emphatic in its embrace of BECCS as a key climate solution. To achieve net zero, governments must support carbon dioxide removal solutions, including BECCS. If properly supported, the U.S. offers a promising environment to deploy BECCS, with the potential to remove up to 2.2 gigatons of CO2 per year. The detailed recommendations provided in the report clearly show the need for federal action to maximize the social, economic and environmental benefits BECCS offers for a clean energy future.”

 “Over the past two years, Drax has been progressing a Global BECCS programme, with a primary focus in North America. Two initial sites in the US South have been selected with 9 more sites under evaluation, creating a pipeline of development opportunities by 2030. If implemented appropriately, the policy framework outlined in the report would enable Drax to deploy BECCS earlier. We stand ready to invest billions in deploying BECCS by Drax in the US unlocking climate, economic and environmental benefits for our communities.”

Texas and Alabama Non-Profits Focused on Environment, Youth Enrichment Receive Funding from Drax Foundation

21 June 2023

News

Drax has announced its first round of grant recipients who will be receiving funding from the newly created Drax Foundation. Launched in March 2023, the Drax Foundation funds initiatives that support education and skills development in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces and enhance biodiversity.  

In the U.S., the Drax Foundation has provided a total of $105,000 across four organizations in Texas and Alabama: The Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME), the Houston Audubon, The Galveston Bay Foundation and The Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability. 

The Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME), which was awarded $30,000, creates equitable experiences for students from underrepresented groups to explore futures in engineering.  

“TAME welcomes Drax Foundation into our alliance as we continue to prioritize cross-sector partnerships that improve access to engineering pathways for Texas students,” said Andrea Herrera Moreno, Executive Director of TAME. “The support from Drax enables us to amplify our impact by investing in our programs and capacity, and we’re very excited to engineer this new partnership.”

The Galveston Bay Foundation, which received $25,000, is a conservation nonprofit that has served as guardian of Galveston Bay since 1987 with a mission to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come.  

“We are excited to receive funding from the Drax Foundation for our Classroom STEM Workshops and Wetland Connections year-long program, allowing us to provide additional program scholarships to schools in need,” said Cindy Wilems, Director of Education at Galveston Bay Foundation. “These programs reach over 11,000 students and teachers each year and focus on encouraging environmental literacy, increasing STEM skills, connecting students to nature, confidence building, future thinking, and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders.”

The Houston Audubon, which received $25,000, is a regional non-profit and accredited land trust focused on protecting the natural environment for birds and people on the upper Texas coast.  

“With Drax’s generous support, Houston Audubon is helping to increase access to nature for historically under-resourced and marginalized communities through a pilot program that provides community centered birdwatching and other specially curated outdoor educational and recreational activities,” said Helen E. Drummond, Executive Director of the Houston Audubon. “As a leading bird conservation organization for the Houston Gulf Coast Region, we are committed to offering a wide range of programming in one of the most demographically diverse cities in the United States.” 

The Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability, which received $25,000, is an Alabama-based nonprofit that was established in 2018 to bring new environmental programs and facilities to the Gulf of Mexico’s Coast, including the promotion of sustainable tourism, environmental awareness, and the stewardship of the Gulf Coast’s natural resources. 

“We are immensely grateful to the Drax Foundation for supporting our Ambassadors of the Environment program,” said Travis Langen, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Center. “We look forward to putting the funds to good use by inspiring a new generation of young leaders and environmental stewards.”

Combined, the first wave of funding from the Drax Foundation will benefit nearly 8,400 young learners in STEM education. 

“Our goal at Drax is to make real, positive differences in the communities we operate,” said Matt White, Executive Vice President of Drax’s North America Operations. “This first round of Foundation giving will help deserving organizations change the lives of thousands of children across the southern U.S.” 

There will be two rounds of funding each year with the Drax Foundation’s next focus on Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and programs that straddle all of the states in Drax’s operational footprint. Non-profit organizations in these states that meet Drax’s criteria are invited to get in touch via [email protected].

To learn more about the Drax Foundation and Drax’s community efforts, visit www.drax.com/community. 

Contact Information: 

Michelli Martin
Communications Manager, US
318-372-3988
[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 https://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 selects Houston, Texas as headquarters for bioenergy carbon capture business

24 May 2023

News

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 https://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. 

Biomass Milestone Achieved as 200th Shipment of Renewable Fuel Departs Port of Greater Baton Rouge

9 March 2023

News

This month, Drax, the world’s leading producer and user of sustainable biomass, loaded its 200th shipment of sustainable biomass at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. The shipment marks a major milestone for Drax’s operations in the United States as it amounts to more than 10 million tonnes having been shipped and used to generate renewable dispatchable power for homes and businesses in the UK.

“Reaching a milestone like this highlights the tremendous work of the thousands of people employed throughout our global biomass supply chain, including our shipping partners,” said Matt White, Executive Vice President of North America Operations for Drax. “Drax is committed to ensuring our sustainable biomass continues to deliver positive outcomes for the climate, our environment, and the communities where we work.”

The 200th shipment was loaded on to the MV Belguardian – a bulk carrier vessel that will travel across the Atlantic Ocean before arriving at Associated British Ports’ Humber International Terminal. From there, the biomass will be transported by rail to Drax Power Station. A cargo typically takes around 17 to 21 days to reach the UK. The logistics are achieved through a coordinated effort from long term partners including HOST, Alfred H Knight and Ultrabulk.

“Since 2014 when HOST began operating the Drax facility in Port Allen, we have anticipated the growth potential on the Mississippi River, and HOST is proud to have facilitated the loading of the 200th shipment of sustainable biomass from the DRAX facility,” said Adam Anderson, Chairman and CEO of T. Parker Host. “We appreciate our partnership with Drax and look forward to continuing to raise the bar collectively in Port Allen.”

“Alfred H Knight has a strong history of delivering independent inspection and analytical services for shipments of commodities around the world,” said John McIndoe, General Manager of Energy Services for Alfred H Knight North America. We are proud to have played a role throughout each of the 200 shipments of sustainable biomass fuel and will continue to provide support to Drax with their decarbonisation strategy.”

Over the last decade Drax has converted four of its power station’s six generating units to use sustainable biomass instead of coal. This has transformed Drax, which supplies 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity, into the country’s largest renewable power generator and the biggest decarbonization project in Europe.

“We are excited and proud to be a part of Drax´s journey towards becoming carbon negative,” said Michael Paulsen, Head of US Gulf/Caribbean for Ultrabulk. “Ultrabulk is also firmly committed to the transition towards zero emissions in the shipping industry, which is a significant part of our own decarbonization strategy.”

An independent analysis by Chmura recently showed that sustainable biomass is now a key industry across the southeast U.S., boosting the economic prospects for rural communities. The cumulative economic impact of Drax’s operations from 2023 to 2030 is estimated to be $8.3 billion in total spending and $3.4 billion in GDP across Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.

Sustainable biomass uses harvest residuals and low-grade wood, such as tops and branches, low-quality trees or parts that are diseased or misshapen. The market for low-grade wood helps improve the health and productivity of forests while providing rural counties with a new income stream.

Media contacts

Alex Schott
Vice President, North American Communications
E: [email protected]
T: 318-372-4091

Photo/Video captions:

  • Biomass wood pellets are shipped via the MV Belguardian bulk carrier vessel at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

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/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 19 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.

Customers: 

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

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

Drax Bolsters Support for STEM Education, Local Community Giving with Launch of New Foundation

1 March 2023

News

Drax, the world’s leading producer and user of sustainable biomass energy, today launched the Drax Foundation to significantly boost grant funding for non-profit organizations and social enterprises in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. The Foundation is a key part of Drax’s community support strategy, which is focused on ensuring the business delivers a positive impact in the communities where it operates.

“Launching the Drax Foundation is the start of an exciting new chapter in how we deliver positive social impact. Our ambition is to better support diverse organizations working hard to create the next generation of science and technology leaders, students and those working to make our communities greener and better places to live,” said Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax.

The Drax Foundation will fund initiatives supporting education and skills development in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces and enhance biodiversity within local communities. Funding will be available for organizations ranging from smaller community-led projects to larger grants of up to $60,000 for established non-profit organizations.

“We are passionate about giving back to the communities we work in and are proud of our past philanthropic work,” said Gardiner. “Alongside the new Foundation, and as part of our new community strategy, we are also going to be funding energy efficiency measures for community organizations in the UK, supporting foodbanks around the world and expanding our Communities in Crisis Fund. Combined this is a step change in the support we deliver for people, nature and the climate.”

The Drax Foundation represents a new approach to the company’s investment in communities and will provide a long-term platform to support local organizations as the company grows.

Organizations and initiatives that meet Drax’s funding and selection criteria are encouraged to visit https://www.drax.com/us/about-us/our-communities/ to learn more about the Foundation and email [email protected] to submit an initial expression of interest.

Media Contact:

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

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/us

Pellet production and supply:

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

Drax is targeting 8 million tons of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3 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 Partnership with Federation of Southern Cooperatives to Drive Equal Access to Forest Management Opportunities for Minority and Underserved Small Landowners

14 February 2023

News

Drax, the world’s leading producer and user of sustainable biomass, has announced a new partnership with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives that will help minority and underserved small landowners in the U.S. South with greater access to the biomass market, further encouraging sustainable forestry management.

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is a 55-year-old regional cooperative and rural economic development organization that serves a membership of Black farmers, landowners and cooperatives, with co-op development, land retention and advocacy. Through a jointly committed Memorandum of Cooperation with Drax, the two will work together to enhance outreach, education, market access and community engagement in the region’s forestry supply chain.

The partnership includes a commitment to develop a shared understanding of what environmental justice means for small forest owners and the biomass industry. This includes building a program of work that creates greater access to a fiber market that has historically been dominated by larger landowners and previously excluded African American landowners.

“This partnership with Drax will help us further in our goals to tackle historic land rights issues by empowering these smaller forest landowners with training and resources which will enable them to access the forest markets,” said Freddie Davis III, Director of The Federation of Southern Cooperatives Rural Training and Research Center.

“Access to forest markets is critical in a landowners’ ability to manage their forests sustainably. It benefits the broader forest products industry and helps support jobs, opportunities and economic benefits in our communities. It also helps keep forests as forests – benefiting carbon stocks and biodiversity,” said Davis.

Biomass plays a critical role in the sustainable management of forests in the U.S. by providing a reliable source of income that incentivizes smaller landowners to maintain their forest land and encourages them to adopt good forest stewardship principles.

“Drax is committed to supporting the communities where we operate, and this partnership with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives is an important step in helping owners of smaller areas of land to benefit financially from the biomass industry while also stimulating sustainable forestry management across the U.S.,” said Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax.

“This will benefit many small farmers, suppliers and related businesses and help pave the way toward redressing the balance and advancing equity in the forest products industry in the U.S. South,” said Gardiner.

The nature of the vast and abundant forestry resources in the U.S. South has encouraged economies of scale which have disadvantaged many small forest landowners, such as those represented by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund.

Contact Information:

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

Notes:

  • Through the partnership, Drax will support the Federation’s initiatives to provide education, training and internships related to forestry management and related opportunities in the pellet industry.
  • It will also work to increase procurement of fiber from small and historically underserved landowners where possible.
  • The agreement recognizes that sustainably managed family forests are key to carbon storage and biodiversity, and that it is important to find ways for even the smallest of landowners to access the fiber market, and the positive benefits this could bring.
  • The biomass market provides an outlet for low-value wood and waste products from the timber industry such as treetops, limbs, damaged wood and sawmill residues such as sawdust and woodchips.
  • It also allows forest owners to sell thinnings – smaller trees removed to maximise the health and growth of the remaining trees in a working forest.
  • The income from thinnings can help pay for some of the investments and annual costs landowners lay out in planting, growing and maintaining forests, providing an additional incentive to keep forests as forests and prevent land from being converted to other uses.
  • According to U.S. Forestry Service data, annual wood growth has doubled in the forests in the U.S. South since the 1950s, increasing the amount of carbon stored.

Photo caption:

Forest Intern Xavier Sherman, Forester Corey Bacon, Forester Freddie Davis, and Forester Darren Beachem (with the Drax Team).

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 https://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 19 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.

About The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is a 56-year-old regional cooperative and rural economic development organization serving a membership of Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and other low-income rural people in the South with coop development, land retention, and advocacy.

The Federation was born out of the Civil Rights movement and exists to save Black-owned farms and land.

We strive toward the development of self-supporting communities with programs that increase income and enhance other opportunities; and we strive to assist in land retention and development, especially for African Americans, but essentially for all family farmers.

Our charter is held in Washington, DC, and we assist members in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.