Drax Power Station is located near Selby in North Yorkshire and has played a central role in the UK’s electricity system since the 1970s, remaining a strategically important asset today. The site employs around 1,000 people, supports 3,450 jobs across Yorkshire and the Humber, and features 12 iconic cooling towers that are visible across the surrounding region. It continues to support UK energy security through reliable renewable power generation
Key facts
- Location: Near Selby, North Yorkshire, England.
- UK contribution: Provides approximately 5% of UK electricity and 10% of UK renewable power.
- Renewable electricity generation: Produces around 14TWh of renewable electricity, enough to power the equivalent of five million homes.
- Generating units: Four 645MW biomass-fired generating units.
- Fuel source: Sustainably sourced biomass
- Employment impact: Around 1,000 direct jobs and 3,450 jobs supported across Yorkshire and the Humber.
- Cooling towers: 12 cooling towers, each 105m (345ft) high.
- Biomass storage: Each biomass dome can store up to 80,000 tonnes of biomass.
The UK's largest renewable power station
Drax Power Station has a long, proud history of playing a central role in producing the UK’s electricity. It is already the home of the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
Drax Power Station has evolved considerably since construction began in the 1960s.
As well as being an important strategic asset nationally, able to keep the lights on in millions of homes, businesses and public sites, Drax Power Station is also vital to the regional economy with around 1,000 people employed directly at the plant and supports 3,450 jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber area. This makes the power station an important economic contributor to the region, supporting skilled employment and local supply chains.
Drax Power Station plays an important role in supporting UK energy security by providing reliable renewable electricity when it is needed most. Its ability to generate power alongside weather-dependent sources such as wind and solar helps maintain a stable electricity system and supports a secure supply of energy for homes and businesses.
It has six boilers, four of which have now been converted to biomass. With each as high as a 15-storey office block, a main chimney almost twice the height of the London Eye, and over 1,800 miles of steel tubing, enough to stretch from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back again, you have to see it to believe it – which you can do on a free tour of the site.
The power station is connected directly to the national electricity transmission grid, for which it provides a host of system support services.
You may have seen our distinctive cooling towers on the skyline around Goole. Many observers think that the towers are pumping out smoke when it is actually water vapour which does not harm the environment. If you want to learn and see more about how the cooling towers operate watch our video exploring the inside of one.
The station includes 4 x 645MW biomass fired units and the renewable power it produces is 100% using compressed wood pellets, a form of sustainably sourced biomass.
Its two coal units ceased commercial operations in March 2021 and its Capacity Market obligations were completed in September 2022.
Page updated March 2026
