Tag: about us

Robust trading and operational performance in Q1-2021, progressing biomass strategy

21 April 2021

Investors

RNS Number : 0962W
Drax Group plc
(“Drax” or the “Group”; Symbol:DRX)

Highlights

  • Robust trading and operational performance during the first three months of 2021
  • Completion of acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. (Pinnacle)
  • Strong balance sheet and cash flows
    • Continue to expect net debt to Adjusted EBITDA(1) of around 2 x by the end of 2022
  • Continued focus on clean energy generation and a reduction in carbon emissions
    • Commercial coal generation ended in March 2021, with full closure in September 2022
    • Sale of existing gas generation assets in January 2021
  • Sustainable and growing dividend
    • Final dividend of 10.3 pence per share – subject to shareholder approval at AGM
    • Total dividends of 17.1 pence per share, 7.5% y-o-y growth

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“In the first quarter of 2021 we delivered a robust trading and operational performance, alongside steps to further decarbonise the business and support our flexible and renewable generation strategy. These include the end of commercial coal generation, the sale of our gas power stations and just last week we acquired leading Canadian biomass producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner in the control room at Drax Power Station

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner in the control room at Drax Power Station [Click to view/download]

“The acquisition of Pinnacle positions Drax as the world’s leading sustainable biomass generation and supply business. This advances our strategy to increase self-supply, reduce our own cost of biomass production and create a long-term future for sustainable bioenergy, which will pave the way for the development of negative emissions from Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS). BECCS at Drax would make a significant contribution to the UK reaching its new target to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035.”

Trading, operational performance and outlook

The trading and operational performance of the Group has been robust in the first three months of 2021. Full year expectations for the Group remain underpinned by continued good operational availability for the remainder of 2021.

Generation

Drax’s generation portfolio has performed well with good asset availability and optimisation across its portfolio, including a strong system support performance from Cruachan (pumped storage), underpinning a solid financial performance.

During the summer Drax will, as previously announced, undertake planned maintenance on its CfD(2) biomass unit, including a high-pressure turbine upgrade to reduce maintenance costs and improve thermal efficiency, contributing to lower generation costs for Drax Power Station.

In March 2021 Drax secured Capacity Market agreements for its hydro and pumped storage assets worth around £10 million for the delivery period October 2024 to September 2025.

Drax also secured 15-year agreements for three new 299MW system support Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) projects in England and Wales. As the UK transitions towards a net zero economy it will become increasingly dependent on intermittent renewable generation.  As such, fast response system support technologies, such as these OCGTs, are increasingly important in enabling the UK energy system to run more frequently and securely on intermittent renewable generation. Drax is continuing to evaluate options for these projects including their potential sale.

Pellet Production

Pellet Production has performed well with good production and cost reduction plans on track.

On 13 April 2021, Drax completed its acquisition of Pinnacle. The acquisition advances the Group’s biomass strategy by more than doubling its sustainable biomass production capacity, significantly reducing its cost of production and adding a major biomass supply business, underpinned by long-term third-party supply contracts.

The Group’s enlarged supply chain will have access to 4.9 million tonnes of operational capacity from 2022. Of this total, 2.9 million tonnes are available for Drax’s self-supply requirements in 2022 (increasing to 3.4 million tonnes in 2027).

The acquisition positions Drax as the world’s leading sustainable biomass generation and supply business alongside the continued development of its ambition to be a carbon negative company by 2030, using BECCS.

Pinnacle’s performance in the first three months of 2021 was in line with Drax’s expectations through the acquisition process. Drax will update on full year expectations including Pinnacle at its half year results on 29 July 2021.

Customers

The Group’s I&C(3) supply business performed well. It continues to provide a route to market for Drax’s power and renewable products to high credit quality counterparties as well as opportunities to complement the Group’s system support capabilities.

Trading desk at Haven Power, Ipswich

Trading desk at Haven Power, Ipswich

The SME(4) supply business continued to be affected by the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the first three months of 2021. Drax is continuing to explore operational and strategic options for this segment of the business.

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2021, Drax had cash and total committed facilities of £801 million.

Drax will retain Pinnacle’s existing debt facilities within the enlarged Group’s capital structure but will consider opportunities to optimise its balance sheet with lower cost sources of debt.

Drax continues to expect net debt to Adjusted EBITDA to return to its long-term target of around 2 x by the end of 2022.

Generation contracted power sales

As at 16 April 2021, Drax had 25.7TWh of power sales contracted at £49.0/MWh as follows:

[table “148” not found /]

Capital allocation and dividend

The Group remains committed to the capital allocation policy established in 2017, through which it aims to maintain a strong balance sheet; invest in the core business; pay a sustainable and growing dividend and return surplus capital beyond investment requirements to shareholders.

A final 2020 dividend of 10.3 pence per share was proposed in the 2020 results on 25 February 2021 and, subject to shareholder approval at today’s Annual General Meeting, will be paid on 14 May 2021.

An interim dividend of 6.8 pence per share was paid on 2 October 2020, making the total 2020 dividend 17.1 pence per share, an increase of 7.5% compared to 2019.

Enquiries:

Drax Investor Relations: Mark Strafford

+44 (0) 1757 612 491

Media:

Drax External Communications: Ali Lewis

+44 (0) 7712 670 888

Website: www.drax.com/ca

END

Completion of the acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc.

13 April 2021

Investors
Pinnacle named ship

RNS Number : 2689V 
Drax Group plc
(“Drax” or the “Group”; Symbol:DRX)

Drax is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Pinnacle Renewable Inc.

The Acquisition was originally announced on 8 February 2021.

Enquiries:

Drax Investor Relations: Mark Strafford

+44 (0) 7730 763 949

Media:

Drax External Communications: Ali Lewis

+44 (0) 7712 670 888

 

Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time

Will Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer, Drax Group

28 July 2019

Opinion
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time and Drax has a crucial role in tackling it.

All countries around the world need to reduce carbon emissions while at the same time growing their economies. Creating enough clean, secure energy for industry, transport and people’s daily lives has never been more important.

Drax is at the heart of the UK energy system. Recently the UK government committed to delivering a net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and Drax is equally committed to helping make that possible.

We’ve recently had some questions about what we’re doing and I’d like to set the record straight.

How is Drax helping the UK reach its climate goals?

At Drax we’re committed to a zero-carbon, lower-cost energy future.

And we’ve accelerated our efforts to help the UK get off coal by converting our power station to using sustainable biomass. And now we’re the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

We’re exploring how Drax Power Station can become the anchor to enable revolutionary technologies to capture carbon in the North of England.

And we’re creating more energy stability, so that more wind and solar power can come onto the grid.

And finally, we’re helping our customers take control of their energy – so they can use it more efficiently and spend less.

Is Drax the largest carbon polluter in the UK?

No. Since 2012 we’ve reduced our CO2 emissions by 84%. In that time, we moved from being western Europe’s largest polluter to being the home of the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

And we want to do more.

We’ve expanded our operations to include hydro power, storage and natural gas and we’ve continued to bring coal off the system.

By the mid 2020s, our ambition is to create a power station that both generates electricity and removes carbon from the atmosphere at the same time.

Does building gas power stations mean the UK will be tied into fossil fuels for decades to come?

Our energy system is changing rapidly as we move to use more wind and solar power.

At the same time, we need new technologies that can operate when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining.

A new, more efficient gas plant can fill that gap and help make it possible for the UK to come off coal before the government’s deadline of 2025.

Importantly, if we put new gas in place we need to make sure that there’s a route through for making that zero-carbon over time by being able to capture the CO2 or by converting those power plants into hydrogen.

Are forests destroyed when Drax uses biomass and is biomass power a major source of carbon emissions?

No.

Sustainable biomass from healthy managed forests is helping decarbonise the UK’s energy system as well as helping to promote healthy forest growth.

Biomass has been a critical element in the UK’s decarbonisation journey. Helping us get off coal much faster than anyone thought possible.

The biomass that we use comes from sustainably managed forests that supply industries like construction. We use residues, like sawdust and waste wood, that other parts of industry don’t use.

We support healthy forests and biodiversity. The biomass that we use is renewable because the forests are growing and continue to capture more carbon than we emit from the power station.

What’s exciting is that this technology enables us to do more. We are piloting carbon capture with bioenergy at the power station. Which could enable us to become the first carbon-negative power station in the world and also the anchor for new zero-carbon cluster across the Humber and the North.

How do you justify working at Drax?

I took this job because Drax has already done a tremendous amount to help fight climate change in the UK. But I also believe passionately that there is more that we can do.

I want to use all of our capabilities to continue fighting climate change.

I also want to make sure that we listen to what everyone else has to say to ensure that we continue to do the right thing.