Information about our business, partnerships and campaigns, as well as photos, graphics and multimedia assets for journalists, and educational materials for schools.
“On behalf of Drax Group, I send my deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this incredibly difficult time. The Queen’s dedication to public service, both in the UK and across the Commonwealth, ensured that she was loved and respected by the global community and through the good times and the bad she provided the inspirational leadership that we all need from a Head of State.
“Some of the people living in the community near our Cruachan Power Station in Argyll, Scotland, will no doubt fondly recall when the Queen visited in 1965 to formally open the site. As the world enters a period of mourning, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered with great admiration and affection.”
The “Fight the Blight” project enables demolitions of vacant, unsafe, and dilapidated structures in Bastrop’s main corridors to improve safety as well as enhance the area’s appearance.
Matt White, Executive Vice President of Drax’s Pellet Operations, said:
“We’re pleased to be able to donate to an organization like Keep Morehouse Beautiful which plays such a positive role in the community. The work they do is so important to improving our surroundings and benefits us all by making the local area a safer and more pleasant place to live and work. I hope this donation will support them in their efforts to help Morehouse unlock its potential.”
KMB has completed more than 20 demolitions in the last 11 years, proving that their beautification efforts make a real difference for their community.
Vicki Carpenter, KMB Coordinator, said:
“KMB believes that ‘beautification is economic development.’ We work very hard to promote Morehouse Parish in the interest of environmental respect and stewardship. The demolitions done by KMB were only possible through partnerships with the property owners and generous donations from KMB supporters such as Drax.”
Kay King, Morehouse Economic Development Corporation CEO, said:
“KMB is a great economic development partner. Their focus has been on the properties on West Madison as a gateway ‘to and from’ Monroe. The objective is to incentivize property owners to get involved in the clean-up process to stimulate business growth along our major traffic corridors.”
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), selective demolitions can create employment and economic activities in recycling industries and provide increased business opportunities within the local community.
Keep Morehouse Beautiful is a non-profit organization made up solely of volunteers dedicated to economic development and environmental respect. The organization works to educate others on caring for their environment and building awareness for local environmental issues.
Drax is committed to supporting the communities local to its operations and is this year drawing up plans for a more targeted community spend.
In 2021, Drax supported education and skills in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama and provided donations to help communities hit by natural disasters and Covid and work to support sustainable forestry.
Through its operations in Louisiana and Mississippi, Drax supports more than 1,200 jobs and contributes $175m to the region’s economy.
This includes more than 1,200 jobs in Louisiana and Mississippi with 300 direct jobs across these two states in Drax’s three pellet mills and at the port of Greater Baton Rouge.
Drax’s pellet mills also support the wider supply chain of loggers, truckers, railway workers, port workers and other logistics professionals.
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 17 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.
“The proposed increase in the level of support for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, is game-changing for carbon removal companies looking to invest in deploying this vital technology and support the US meet its net zero targets.
“If enacted, Drax will be able to kick start its pipeline of BECCS projects in the US, accelerating the scale up of essential carbon removals needed to meet climate targets whilst creating green energy jobs in communities which need them most.
“The bill, approved by the Senate, demonstrates the kind of climate leadership companies like Drax need to see, so we can lead the creation of a whole new BECCS industry. I’m excited about the future for Drax in the US.”
Volunteers from Drax and KTVE packed the donated food supplies into bags on June 16 to distribute via the Wellspring, a United Way of Northeast Louisiana partner agency. Mac’s Fresh Market also offered premade bags filled with non-perishable items that people could pay $6 to donate. The donations will be stored at the Wellspring, where homeless veterans can go to collect them year-round.
The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates that on any given night, 200,000 veterans are homeless, and 400,000 veterans will experience homelessness over the course of a year.
Research has also shown that veterans living in poverty are at higher risk of food insecurity, homelessness and other hardships than those who have never served in the forces.
Evalise Poulin, Drax Learning Development Specialist, said:
“I love being part of a company that gives back so much to the communities we operate in, such as our recent opportunity to help homeless veterans through the United Way. Being able to support those who have sacrificed so much for us was very rewarding.”
The food drive coincided with the start of the television network’s new program ‘Salute to Veterans’, also sponsored by Drax, which aims to honor and thank local veterans for their service.
The program will include three-minute interviews with a different veteran each month, saluting them for their service. The interviews will be aired during KTVE’s news broadcast, and available to view on KTVE’s website.
Tammy Esswein, KTVE Account Manager, said:
“Over the past few weeks, 4.8 tons of food was donated, and over the past 4 years KTVE/KARD has done this project, we’ve donated 28 tons of food. On June 16, 2022, with the help and sponsorship from Drax, we were able to bag up this food and donate to the Wellspring. We are so thankful for our amazing community and Drax!”
Drax is committed to supporting the communities local to its operations and is this year drawing up plans for a more targeted community spend.
In 2021, Drax supported education and skills in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama and provided donations to help communities hit by natural disasters and Covid and work to support sustainable forestry.
The Wellspring is a charitable non-profit organization aimed at strengthening and valuing individuals and families through professional services and community leadership with compassion and integrity.
According to Cohen et al. in “Food Insecurity Among Veterans: Resources to Screen and Intervene,” veterans living in poverty are at even higher risk than nonveterans for food insecurity, homelessness, and other material hardship, and homeless veterans have a 49% higher risk of suffering from food insecurity.
Through its operations in Louisiana and Mississippi, Drax supports more than 1,200 jobs and contributes $175m to the region’s economy.
This includes more than 1,200 jobs in Louisiana and Mississippi with 300 direct jobs across these two states in Drax’s three pellet mills and at the port of Greater Baton Rouge.
Drax’s pellet mills also support the wider supply chain of loggers, truckers, railway workers, port workers and other logistics professionals.
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 17 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.
The tour was guided by members of Drax’s sustainable forestry team Alexandra Sullivan, Bretta Palmer, Aaron Clark, and Steven Galloway, who took the participants through Drax’s procurement, pelleting, and shipping processes at its LaSalle Bioenergy pellet plant.
The LFA Educator’s Tour is used to inform educators of Louisiana’s renewable resources, including water, wildlife, and woodlands.
Gracee Texada, LFA Program and Training Administrator, said:
“It is so important that our future generation learn the importance of forestry and these experiences help our participants to be better educators about Louisiana’s renewable resources. These tours empower them with real life experiences related to our valuable industries and enable them to pass this knowledge on to our youth and to their colleagues.”
Participants visit different harvest operations and manufacturers of forest products across Louisiana which offer them hands-on field experience to bring back to their classrooms and organizations.
Bretta Palmer, Drax Sustainability Manager, said:
“The Educator’s Tours are important for us as it’s an opportunity for us to give these individuals an insight into our processes and controls and show the positive impacts we have in the area. This empowers them with the knowledge and confidence to return with a positive message to their students about the wood products industry.”
The LFA holds its annual Educator’s Tour to provide a better understanding of the wood products industry for educators, 4-H groups, scout leaders, wildlife employees, students, and others in the surrounding communities.
Kyla Cheynet, Drax Sustainability Director, said:
“The LFA’s Educator’s Tour provides us with an opportunity to illustrate the products, processes, and jobs that are involved in the wood products industry to our current educators. We are able to show them the importance of using sustainable processes to help preserve and enrich our environment as much as possible.”
The mission of the Louisiana Forestry Association is to be an advocate for the sustainable growing, harvesting and manufacturing of Louisiana’s forests and for the people whose livelihoods depend on these forest resources.
Drax is committed to supporting the communities local to its operations and is this year drawing up plans for a more targeted community spend.
In 2021, Drax supported education and skills in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama and provided donations to help communities hit by natural disasters and Covid and work to support sustainable forestry.
Through its operations in Louisiana and Mississippi, Drax supports more than 1,200 jobs and contributes $175m to the region’s economy.
This includes more than 1,200 jobs in Louisiana and Mississippi with 300 direct jobs across these two states in Drax’s three pellet mills and at the port of Greater Baton Rouge.
Drax’s pellet mills also support the wider supply chain of loggers, truckers, railway workers, port workers and other logistics professionals.
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 17 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 celebrate the launch of Drax Asia and the opening of a new Drax office in Japan, more than 160 guests including government officials, major trading houses, energy businesses and shipping companies, attended a reception at the British Ambassador’s residence in Tokyo.
At the reception, British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom said:
“The global issues facing us today highlight the importance of clean and secure energy supply chains. We are happy to support Drax in their expansion into Japan.”
British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom at the reception to launch Drax Asia
Drax Group, the world’s leading producer and user of sustainable biomass, aims to increase its wood pellet production capacity to 8 million tonnes a year by 2030 from 5 million tonnes a year currently, supporting global efforts to displace fossil fuels and decarbonise energy systems.
As a supplier of sustainable biomass pellets to customers in Asia and Europe, and with more than a decade of experience in converting the UK’s biggest coal-fired power station to use sustainable biomass, Drax is uniquely placed to support Japan as it further decarbonises its economy and energy system.
The British-headquartered company is also pioneering bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), an essential carbon removals technology which provides renewable energy while also permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Drax Group’s Managing Director for Asia, Yasuhisa Okamoto, who is based in Tokyo and will oversee the company’s ambitious plans for growth in Japan and the region said:
Drax Group Managing Director for Asia, Yasuhisa Okamoto
“Drax’s unrivalled expertise across the entire biomass value chain – from sustainable fibre sourcing, pellet manufacturing, supply chain management, biomass power generation and BECCS – can support Japan’s climate targets, accelerating the move away from coal and enabling investment in clean energy technologies.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with Japanese companies, supporting them as they decarbonise their businesses, using sustainable biomass.”
Drax’s conversion of its UK power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal is Europe’s largest decarbonisation project, reducing fossil fuel emissions from Drax’s power generation by over 95% since 2012.
The day after the reception in Tokyo, a team of Drax executives visited a standalone biomass power plant that Drax supplies with biomass.
Drax executives, British Ambassador and embassy official at the launch of Drax Asia. (Top L-R: Paul Sheffield – Drax Chief Commercial Officer, Ross McKenzie – Drax Director of International Affairs, Joseph Sheldon – Senior Trade Advisor British Embassy, Yasuhisa Okamoto – Drax Managing Director Asia. Bottom L-R: British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom, Clare Harbord – Drax Group Director of Corporate Affairs, Esa Heiskanen – Drax EVP Capital Projects.)
ENDS
Media contacts:
Selina Williams
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 7912 230 393
Ali Lewis
Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 7712 670 888
Editor’s Notes
Before joining Drax, Mr. Okamoto worked at a major Japanese trading house where he played an active role in the growth of its wood pellet business in Japan. Mr Okamoto is well known across the biomass industry internationally and will play a crucial role in achieving Drax’s target to double biomass sales by 2030.
Drax’s use of sustainable biomass is paving the way for its plans to deploy BECCS globally.
BECCS is the only negative emissions technology that can permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also continuing to generate the reliable, renewable electricity needed in a decarbonising economy.
By the end of this decade, Drax could be permanently removing 12 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, while also delivering the renewable power required to transition off fossil fuels.
Drax has 17 sustainable biomass pellet plants and developments in the US and Canada with capacity of 5 million tonnes and access to four ports in North America.
Drax plans to increase its pellet production capacity to 8 million tonnes by 2030 to help meet its own requirements, as well as its customers’ needs in Asia and Europe, amid an expected increase in global demand for the low-carbon fuel.
Drax aims to increase pellet sales to 4 million tonnes by 2030.
Drax Power Station supplies 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity, keeping the lights on for millions of UK homes and businesses.
The UN’s IPCC, the world’s leading science-based climate authority says that sustainable biomass and negative emissions from BECCS are crucial to meet net zero.
Drax’s world leading sustainability policyguarantees the biomass used at Drax Power Station meets the highest sustainability standards and is only sourced from sustainably managed forests that are stable or growing.
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 17 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.
Renewable energy company Drax has sponsored five scholarships for high school seniors from LaSalle and Jena High Schools through the LaSalle Economic Development District (LEDD).
The $1,500 in scholarships will provide graduating seniors, Joshua Mills, Carolyn Ann Chandler, Allison Ruth Anderson, Brannon Paul Ingle, and Chloe Campbell, with $300 each.
Joshua Mills, LaSalle High School graduate and Drax Scholarship recipient, said:
“I greatly appreciate the scholarship I was awarded from Drax. It will help me further my education as a radiological technician at the University of Louisiana in Monroe.”
Brannon Paul Ingle, a graduate from Jena High School, said:
“This scholarship funding from Drax will help me cover the cost of textbooks I will need for my Accounting and Finance classes at LSUA (Louisiana State University of Alexandria) this Fall.”
Jeff Crawford, Drax LaSalle Plant Manager, said:
“Being actively involved and giving back to our local communities is really important to us at Drax. Meeting these five bright students of our Parish was a humbling and heart-warming experience and it was so rewarding to be able to present our scholarships to them.”
Cynthia Cockerham, LEDD Executive Director, said:
“Drax is a great corporate partner for assisting the LaSalle Parish Scholars Fund with a $300 scholarship for five of our honor graduates with a 3.5 GPA and above. LaSalle Economic Development District appreciates all of our donors that have allowed us to continue this ten-year tradition.”
Drax is committed to supporting the communities local to its operations and is this year drawing up plans for a more targeted community spend.
In 2021, Drax supported education and skills in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama and provided donations to help communities hit by natural disasters and Covid and work to support sustainable forestry.
Photo caption: L-R: Drax LaSalle plant manager Jeff Crawford, Brannon Ingle and Chloe Campbell from Jena High School, Joshua Mills, Carolyn Chandler, and Allison Anderson from LaSalle High School.
Through its operations in Louisiana and Mississippi, Drax supports more than 1,200 jobs and contributes $175m to the region’s economy.
This includes more than 1,200 jobs in Louisiana and Mississippi with 300 direct jobs across these two states in Drax’s three pellet mills and at the port of Greater Baton Rouge.
Drax’s pellet mills also support the wider supply chain of loggers, truckers, railway workers, port workers and other logistics professionals.
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 17 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.
Drax and MOL Drybulk partner to develop wind power technology that will reduce biomass shipping emissions by a fifth
Newly built vessels will be fitted with MOL’s Wind Challenger hard sail technology, with first ship expected as soon as 2025
The initiative is part of Drax’s plans to reduce its supply chain emissions and become carbon negative by 2030 using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)
The companies plan to facilitate the development of wind-powered vessels to transport bulk cargoes of Drax’s wood pellets to its customers in Japan, where the biomass is used to generate reliable, renewable energy, which displaces fossil fuels.
EFBC-1 (Wind Challenger and Rotor sails)
The newly built vessels will be fitted with MOL’s Wind Challenger hard sail technology, with the first ship expected to be on the water as soon as 2025.
The initiative is part of Drax’s plans to further reduce supply chain emissions in line with its world-leading ambition to be a carbon negative company by 2030, by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
Drax Group Chief Executive Will Gardiner said:
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner
“MOL Drybulk’s hard sail technology has the potential to transform the maritime industry, cutting emissions and fuel costs and supporting global efforts to address the climate crisis.
“This partnership to advance this crucial new technology will support Drax’s commitment to reduce its own supply chain emissions and could also deliver far-reaching benefits across a number of different sectors that rely on ships to carry goods to customers around the world.”
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two companies will study the feasibility of deploying a first and second generation Environmentally Friendly Bulk Carrier (EFBC) to carry Drax’s biomass.
The first EFBC will use MOL’s automated telescopic hard sail technology – Wind Challenger, and will evaluate the application of other technologies including rotor sails.
The second EFBC aims to at least halve emissions with new vessel designs that use multiple Wind Challenger sails, other low-carbon technologies in development and the use of alternative fuels such as ammonia, liquefied natural gas and synthetic fuels.
Sail from the rear – extended
Sail from the rear – retracted
Construction of the Wind Challenger sail at Oshima Shipbuilding Yard
Kazuhiko Kikuchi, President and Representative Director of MOL Drybulk said:
Kazuhiko Kikuchi, President and Representative Director of MOL Drybulk
“MOL has been working with our partners to develop the Wind Challenger technology for over a decade, and it’s great to see this become a reality.”
“We are extremely excited to work together with an innovative company such as Drax. This partnership will help us have a positive impact on how wood pellets and other cargoes are transported across the world.”
MOL Drybulk’s work will include developing the technologies that will be used and liaising with the shipyard where the vessel will be built and fitted with the hard sail technology. Drax will work with the ports and terminals in the supply chain on the operational feasibility studies.
The MoU with MOL Drybulk follows Drax’s previous work with the Smart Green Shipping Alliance to look at the potential of fitting innovative sail technology on ships transporting biomass from the US to the UK.
ENDS
Top image caption: Image of the vessel fitted with Wind Challenger technology that will be launched later this year
International shipping is the backbone of the global economy, transporting about 90% of global trade volumes. The sector produces around 940 million tonnes of CO2 a year – around 2.5% of the world’s total CO2
Drax has already cut emissions from its fossil fuel generation by over 95% since 2012 and is targeting further reductions for its remaining emissions, including in its supply chain.
Drax reports its supply chain emissions in its Annual Report, which is independently audited.
Drax’s biomass comes from sustainably managed working forests. It includes the residuals left behind after harvesting activities for other sectors such as construction and furniture, as well as sawmill residues and thinnings.
MOL Drybulk is a 100% subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL)
MOL has set out its plans to reach net zero by 2050
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 4Mt 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 17 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year once developments are complete.
Drax is targeting 8Mt of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over 3Mt 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.
MOL Drybulk Ltd. is a 100% Subsidiary company of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and is a unique entity operating vessels ranging from 10,000DWT up to 100,000DWT bulk carriers, wood chip carriers and multi-purpose vessels, with the aim to provide a “one-stop service” to the customers, work collaboratively to meet their needs and provide environmental solutions to reduce the GHG emissions throughout the supply chain.
About Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL)
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), as a global marine transport group, operates a global fleet exceeding 700 vessels, including tankers, bulkers, car carriers, ferries, which also extends to offshore projects. Under the “MOLGROUP Environmental Vision 2.1” established in June 2021, MOL clarifies its commitment to achieve sustainable “Net Zero GHG Emissions” by 2050 through collective efforts with all capabilities within the group.
The “Wind Challenger”
The Wind Challenger Project started in 2009 with the “Wind Challenger Plan,” an industry-academia joint research project led by The University of Tokyo, and in January 2018, MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding took charge of the plan and now play a central role in this project. The system converts wind energy to propulsive force with a telescopic hard sail.
In October 2019, it acquired Approval in Principle (AIP) for the design of a hard sail system.
In December 2020, MOL reached a long-term transport deal with Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. using a 99,000DWT vessel equipped with a Wind Challenger sail with the aim to achieve 5% to 8% reduction of the GHG emissions. The vessel is currently constructed at Oshima Shipbuilding, and is scheduled to commence service in Q4 2022.
Renewable energy company Drax has partnered with United Way of Northeast Louisiana (NELA) Young Leaders United group to sponsor a $1,000 refurbishment of Kiroli Park’s Born Learning Trail after it was damaged by recent storms.
The Born Learning Trail is an interactive walking trail to help parents, caregivers and communities provide quality early learning opportunities for young children. The trail is filled with colorful signs to help children get active as they learn about plants, flowers, birds and trees.
Volunteers with Young Leaders United replaced four signs on the trail that had been damaged, cleaned the remaining signs, and painted different parts of the trail to make it more inviting to visitors to Kiroli Park in West Monroe, Louisiana.
Brittany Myers, Drax’s Deputy General Counsel North America and Young Leaders United board member, said:
“I’m very passionate about their mission because I can see the positive impact the organization has in my local community, especially around education and health for children and their families.”
Drax Intern Jaidyn Oliver, United Way NELA Resource Development Manager Allyson Sager and Drax Communications Officer Annmarie Sartor
Allyson Sager, United Way NELA Resource Development Manager, said:
“The Born Learning Trail at Kiroli Park offers an active and fun learning experience for children and families. I loved working on the trail and I’m looking forward to taking my kids there very soon.”
“Members of United Way of Northeast Louisiana’s Young Leaders UNITED were thrilled to partner with Drax Biomass to refresh the Born Learning Trail at Kiroli Park. We are excited for the opportunity to provide ways for children to be active outdoors, to engage with their caretakers, and to have fun while learning.
“Drax is an incredible partner to UWNELA, and this is just the of the many ways Drax has supported United Way’s efforts to help children succeed in school and in life. We are so grateful for the support and for the amazing volunteers who made this effort possible.”
Lucy Doll, Young Leaders United volunteer, said:
“The Born Learning Trail is such a great way to encourage children to get out into nature and the interactive signs give them a way to learn more about their environment. For me, being part of the refurbishment was so rewarding – it’s great to give children a fun, bright place to explore their surroundings.”
Young Leaders United aims to develop skills, knowledge and closer ties with United Way NELA so as to cultivate future volunteer leaders of the organization and its community partners.
Jamie Worley, Young Leaders United volunteer, said:
“When the Covid pandemic left me unemployed, I wanted to find a way to give back to the community and the Young Leaders United group has been a great way to do that.
“They give us volunteers a way to do something worthwhile and do things that matter. I was able to get out and give back to my community because of Drax and the United Way of Northeast Louisiana.”
Drax is committed to supporting the communities local to its operations and is this year drawing up plans for a more targeted community spend.
In 2021, Drax supported education and skills in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama and provided donations to help communities hit by natural disasters and Covid and work to support sustainable forestry.
Through its operations in Louisiana and Mississippi, Drax supports more than 1,200 jobs and contributes $175m to the region’s economy.
This includes more than 1,200 jobs in Louisiana and Mississippi with 300 direct jobs across these two states in Drax’s three pellet mills and at the port of Greater Baton Rouge.
Drax’s pellet mills also support the wider supply chain of loggers, truckers, railway workers, port workers and other logistics professionals.
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 17 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.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), selective demolitions can create employment and economic activities in recycling industries and provide increased business opportunities within the local community.
provide quality early learning opportunities for young children. The trail is filled with colorful signs to help children get active as they learn about plants, flowers, birds and trees.
