Archives: Press Release

Britain sending Europe power lifeline – report

30 September 2022

Press releases
  • Britain exported more power to Europe than ever before in the second quarter of the year, making it a net exporter of electricity for the first time in over a decade, according to a new report.
  • The new trade surplus with Europe was worth around £1.5 billion for the UK economy during the period.
  • The energy crisis in Europe may have shone a light on an opportunity for Britain to become ‘Europe’s power battery’ by investing in long duration electricity storage technologies.

For the first time in over a decade, Britain became a net exporter of electricity to its European neighbours, making around £1.5bn for the economy in three months.

An independent report by academics from Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights, commissioned via Imperial Consultants, shows that in the three months to June 2022, 8% (5.5TWh) of the electricity generated by Britain was exported abroad – the largest amount on record.

Whilst Russia throttled gas supplies and France suffered severe reliability problems with its nuclear power stations, Britain developed a trade surplus in electricity with the rest of Europe.

The excess was exported abroad through subsea cables known as interconnectors.

Share of British electricity that was imported and exported each quarter.

The report’s authors estimate the trade surplus was worth around £1.5 billion for the UK economy during the three months to June.

Dr Iain Staffell of Imperial College London, and lead author of the quarterly Electric Insights report, said:

“Britain has played an important role in helping to keep the lights on across Europe amid the deepening energy crisis which is being weaponised by Russia against our nearest neighbours.

“With Europe now facing long-term security of supply problems, there could be an economic argument for Britain to step up investment in power production in the years ahead to build an even bigger trade surplus, and protect our nation from damaging energy shortages.”

Another country highlighted by the report to have exported more power than usual to the continent was Norway, with its vast hydro reservoirs being drained to their lowest levels since 1996. Even Britain was a net importer of power from the Scandinavian state over the period, using the country’s enormous hydro storage capacity to balance out drops in supply from intermittent sources of electricity such as wind and solar farms.

The Electric Insights report states there could be “value in increasing the amount of pumped hydro energy storage in the UK” to balance shortfalls in supply from renewables, rather than relying on Norwegian imports. The UK has just under 3GW of pumped storage hydro capacity, less than half of the capacity of comparable countries like Germany.

While the need for the UK to have greater long duration energy storage capacity is growing, barriers to securing private investment in these projects means it has been almost 40 years since a new pumped storage hydro power station was built here.

There are growing calls from the energy industry for the government to introduce measures to support the roll-out of a new generation of long duration storage plants.

Drax is progressing plans to build a new 600 MW underground pumped storage hydro facility at its existing Cruachan site in Scotland.

Ian Kinnaird, Drax’s Scottish Assets Director, said:

“Britain desperately needs a new generation of pumped storage hydro plants to strengthen its own energy security, but it is clear the rest of Europe would benefit as well.

“We have the opportunity to become Europe’s power battery, helping our friends and neighbours reduce their dependence on energy from Russia whilst enabling more homegrown renewable electricity to power UK homes and businesses. It’s an opportunity which Britain should take, or risk being left behind by other countries.”

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Ker
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7849090368

Ali Lewis
Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7712 670 888

Editor’s Notes

[Click image to view/download the report PDF or alternatively read the report webpage here]

A copy of the Drax Electric Insights Q2 2022 report is available by clicking here.

  • The report found Britain had a trade surplus of 5% of electricity generated (8% exported minus 3% imported), with a net value of £500m per month.
  • Historically, Britain has been an importer of electricity, with an average of 8% of electricity coming from our neighbours over the last decade.
  • In May, Drax applied for consent to build a new 600MW pumped storage hydro plant at its existing Cruachan facility in Argyll, Scotland.
  • The new power station could be operation in 2030 with construction work getting underway in 2024.
  • No investment decision has yet been taken and development remains subject to the right regulatory framework with the UK government.
  • Last month, Switzerland opened Europe’s latest pumped storage hydro plant under the Alps. The plant has the same storage capacity as 400,000 electric vehicle batteries.

About Electric Insights

  • Electric Insights is commissioned by Drax and delivered by a team of independent academics from Imperial College London, facilitated by the college’s consultancy company – Imperial Consultants. The quarterly report analyses raw data made publicly available by National Grid and Elexon, which run the electricity and balancing market respectively, and Sheffield Solar.
  • Electric Insights Quarterly focuses on supply and demand, prices, emissions, the performance of the various generation technologies and the network that connects them.
  • The quarterly reports from the last four and a half years can be access at the new website reports.electricinsights.co.uk alongside the interactive electricinsights.co.uk which provides data from 2009 until the present.
  • You can embed Electric Insight’s live dashboard on your website or blog to keep track of what’s happening in the power grid through a new widget. 

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 www.energy.drax.com

 

 

 

New research outlines Drax’s CA$1 billion contribution to B.C. and wider Canadian economy

23 September 2022

Press releases
  • Oxford Economics analysis shows that in 2021 Drax Group contributed CA£1.1 billion towards the Canadian economy and supported 10,400 jobs
  • The Group’s ambitious plans for growth has seen it add a 10th Canadian pellet plant to its portfolio earlier this month as part of a strategy to increase pellet production to 8 million tonnes a year by 2030.

Independent analysis by Oxford Economics has shown that last year renewable energy leader Drax contributed CA$1.1 billion towards the Canadian economy and supported 10,400 jobs across the UK.

The analysis measured the economic impact of Drax Group’s Canadian operations, which includes 10 plants across British Columbia and Alberta which produce sustainable biomass wood pellets used to generate renewable power in the UK and Asia.

The renewable power leader spent CA$736 million with Canadian suppliers last year, with more than half of this total (58%) spent with businesses located in British Columbia. A further 13% was spent with businesses in Alberta and 12% with firms in Montreal.

Drax plans to increase its pellet production capacity from around 5 million tonnes currently to 8 million tonnes by the end of this decade. The company is also developing a pioneering negative emissions technology – bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) which permanently removes millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while at the same time generating renewable power.

Sustainable biomass is central to decarbonization plans across the globe, with the world’s leading climate scientists at the UN’s IPCC viewing BECCS as critical to combatting climate change.

Matt White, Drax’s Senior Vice President, said:

“Not only is Drax playing a critical role in keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses across the UK and Asia, but we are also proud to be supporting thousands of jobs in Canada and contributing more than a billion dollars to the economy at a time when it is under severe pressure.

“Sustainable biomass is increasingly attractive to governments and industries around the world. That’s because it supports energy security as it is a reliable renewable power source and when twinned with carbon capture and storage technology, it can permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere, helping the world reach its climate targets”

Stephen Foreman, Associate Director at Oxford Economics, said:

“Our research demonstrates the significant contribution that a large and successful British company like Drax Group can make to the global economy.

“Drax Group’s operations in the U.K., U.S., and Canada generated £3.1 billion in GDP in 2021 and supported over 35,000 jobs across these three markets. We also find that the activity generated by Drax’s power stations, pellet plants, and corporate offices, is also having a positive impact on local communities across the U.K., the U.S. and Canada.”

Jobs supported by Drax’s activities across Canada covered a wide range of sectors including high-skilled manufacturing of industrial components, engineering and technical machinery and transportation.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Ker
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7849090368

Ali Lewis
Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7712 670 888

Editor’s Notes

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 www.energy.drax.com

New research outlines Drax’s contribution to the UK economy

Press releases
  • Oxford Economics analysis shows that in 2021 Drax Group contributed £1.8 billion towards the UK economy and supported 17,800 jobs
  • The Group’s ambitious plans for growth will see it invest a further £3bn into the UK by 2030, creating tens of thousands of jobs from as soon as 2024.

Independent analysis by Oxford Economics has shown that last year renewable energy leader Drax contributed £1.8 billion towards the UK economy and supported 17,800 jobs across the UK.

The analysis measured the economic impact of Drax Group’s UK operations, which includes Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire – the country’s biggest renewable power generator, which produces enough renewable electricity for four million homes.

The figures come as Drax continues to progress its plans to deliver a green jobs boom in the UK in the years ahead by becoming a world leader in negative emissions technology BECCS and investing billions of pounds in renewable energy projects.

Drax plans to invest £2.5bn in its green energy projects in the UK this decade, supporting security of supply and the UK’s net zero ambitions. The plans include building the world’s largest carbon capture in power project at its North Yorkshire plant and proposals to construct the UK’s first new pumped storage hydro power station in more than 40 years.

In addition to these future jobs, Drax aims to recruit around 500 people by the end of the year, to fill roles which support its global ambitions to produce more sustainable biomass pellets and deliver millions of tonnes of negative emissions through its international BECCS projects.

BECCS is the only technology which permanently removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst also generating the reliable renewable electricity the world needs to enable it to move away from fossil fuels.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“Not only is Drax playing a critical role in keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses across the country, but we are also proud to be supporting thousands of jobs in the UK and contributing millions of pounds to the economy at a time when it is under severe pressure.

“With the right support from government, Drax stands ready to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in developing BECCS and Cruachan 2 so we can do even more for our communities and the climate. Not only will these projects permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and enable more wind power to come online, but it will also support tens of thousands of jobs during construction, and bolster UK energy security.”

Stephen Foreman, Associate Director at Oxford Economics, said:

“Our research demonstrates the significant contribution that a large and successful British company like Drax Group can make to the global economy.

“Drax Group’s operations in the U.K., U.S., and Canada generated £3.1 billion in GDP in 2021 and supported over 35,000 jobs across these three markets. We also find that the activity generated by Drax’s power stations, pellet plants, and corporate offices, is also having a positive impact on local communities across the U.K., the U.S. and Canada.”

Jobs supported by Drax’s activities across the UK covered a wide range of sectors including high-skilled manufacturing of industrial components, engineering and technical machinery, IT, professional business services and transporting goods.

Drax also aims to source 80% of the services and materials for its UK BECCS project from British businesses.

It recently signed an agreement with British Steel to explore opportunities to source steel needed for this critical infrastructure project from the firm’s Scunthorpe and Teesside plants.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Ker
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7849090368

Ali Lewis
Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)7712 670 888

Editor’s Notes

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 www.energy.drax.com

World’s biggest carbon removals deal announced at New York Climate Week

21 September 2022

Press releases

• Renewable energy leader Drax Group and impact-driven carbon finance business Respira International have announced a pioneering agreement that will stimulate the development of global voluntary carbon markets and the decarbonization of new sectors of the economy.
• Under the MoU, Respira will be able to secure up to 2 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide removals (CDR) certificates from Drax, which is pioneering bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
• Drax aims to deliver 12 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide removals per year using BECCS by 2030 and this deal will relate to the CDRs produced from Drax’s North American BECCS facilities.

Renewable energy leader and biomass pioneer Drax has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Respira, which could see the largest volume of carbon dioxide removals (CDRs) traded so far, globally.

Respira, which is an impact-driven carbon finance business, will be able to purchase up to 2 million metric tonnes of CDRs from Drax over a five year period, under the terms of the MoU. The creation of the CDRs would be linked to the future deployment of BECCS by Drax in North America.

Drax already aims to invest over £2bn in its UK BECCS project and its global supply chain by 2030, to remove 8 million metric tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year. In addition to this it is developing investment plans for BECCS projects outside the UK, including in North America, which could remove a further 4 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

BECCS is a critical technology required globally, because it is the only one available which can provide reliable, renewable power, supporting energy security, whilst permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO said:

“This agreement with Respira will play a pivotal role in the development of voluntary carbon markets globally and the deployment of BECCS.

“The clear demand that we are seeing for engineered carbon removals, alongside the policies being developed by progressive governments in the US and UK to support BECCS, will enable the investment needed to kickstart a vital new sector of the economy, creating tens of thousands of jobs, often in communities which need them the most.

“BECCS in the US has the potential to offer a game-changing contribution to the fight against climate change, provide energy grid stability to those areas which need it most and also revolutionise the way companies approach decarbonizing their operations .  Drax aims to be a global leader in the deployment of BECCS and our deal with Respira is a landmark moment for our business as well as the fight against climate change.”

Respira invests in high-quality carbon credits to unlock capital to invest in the creation and acceleration of carbon reduction and removal projects around the world.

 

Ana Haurie, Respira International CEO and co-founder

Ana Haurie, Respira International CEO and co-founder said:

“Rising global temperatures underline that it is absolutely vital for corporates to augment existing carbon emissions strategies with further solutions to address the climate emergency. This partnership with Drax marks a new and exciting development for Respira as it is our first engineered carbon removals project.

“We are proud at Respira to be leading the way in the voluntary carbon market, supporting companies in their mitigation strategies by providing high-quality carbon credits. The deployment of critical technologies like BECCS by Drax, and the resulting engineered CDRs, very much have their place as an important instrument in the value chain management which supports corporate action”

In the US the $739 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which marked the largest investment in climate action in the country’s history, includes an enhanced level of support for carbon removal technologies. And a recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) underlined the importance of BECCS, in delivering the US’s target of 100% clean electricity by 2035, and the need for BECCS to achieve this.

Supportive regulatory frameworks for CDRs, including BECCS, are being developed at state level including in California, Louisiana and Texas.

Under the terms of the MoU with Drax, Respira would be able to purchase CDRs produced by Drax in North America, receiving up to 400,000 metric tonnes of CDRs a year over a five year period, to sell on a voluntary carbon market.

This would enable buyers, such as corporations and financial institutions, to achieve their own carbon emissions reduction targets.

The MoU between Drax and Respira supports a roadmap to secure binding commitments prior to a future final investment decision being made.

Since announcing its ambition to deliver 4 million metric tonnes of CDRs from BECCS in locations outside the UK, Drax has been working on models for developing BECCS projects, primarily in North America. To find out more about Drax’s high-quality, permanent CDRs, go to the website: www.drax.com/USBECCS

Graphic showing how BECCS works. [Click to view/download]

ENDS

Drax media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +447712 670 888

Aidan Kerr
Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: +447849090368

Respira media contacts:

Novella
Tim Robertson / Claire de Groot
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 20 3151 7008

Editor’s Notes

The deal between Respira and Drax is the biggest for carbon removals announced so far. The next biggest was for 100kt a year (400kt total) of DAC between Airbus and 1PointFive, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, which was announced in March 2022.

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 www.energy.drax.com

About Respira

Respira International is an impact-driven carbon finance business. Respira operates with an innovative offtake and profit share model which reinvests back into local communities. Respira’s high-quality carbon credits allow corporations and financial institutions to mitigate their environmental impact. Respira channels private capital into climate solutions ensuring long-term relationships with trusted carbon project developers that enable its clients to use predominantly nature-based solutions to build sustainable, climate-positive businesses and portfolios. Respira’s team combines deep and varied experience working in global financial markets with a robust understanding of carbon project development in leading international conservation organisations.

For further information, please visit respira-international.com

Drax’s cooling tower tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

16 September 2022

Press releases

Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax Power Station, said:

“It has been an incredibly moving week in which so many people across the world have shown their love and respect for the Queen. As we mourn her passing, our deepest condolences go to His Majesty King Charles III and all of the Royal Family.”

The image will be projected onto the 114m tall cooling tower at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire over the weekend of the Queen’s funeral and will be seen from miles around.

Earlier this year, Drax turned two of its cooling towers blue and red to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Drax is being projected from 8pm – 12am on Sunday 18th and Monday 19th September and will be visible from the west of the power station.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Megan Hopgood
Communications Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07936 350 175

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 www.energy.drax.com

His Majesty King Charles III

10 September 2022

Press releases

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO said:

“On behalf of Drax Group, I welcome the announcement of His Majesty King Charles III as Head of State. The King has done an exemplary job as Prince of Wales, forging relationships across nations and showing great commitment to environmental and climate causes.

“His Majesty launched the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) in 2020 and invited me to join the Carbon Capture, Use and Storage taskforce, enabling industry executives to work on meaningful and actionable plans to help accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable future. This is a critical cause that will continue to affect us all.

“His longstanding service to the British public, and across the Commonwealth, follows his mother’s outstanding example.

“My condolences remain with the Royal Family as they, and we too, mourn the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

8 September 2022

Press releases

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO said:

“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.”

Drax Group CEO responds to the US DOE National Renewable Energy Lab Report

2 September 2022

Press releases
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

This week saw some very significant policy progress for BECCS in the U.S. with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy) publishing a new study that highlighted the supply side options required to deliver President Biden’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.

With regards, BECCS, the study said:

  • By 2035, the U.S. will need 100Mt of negative emissions from BECCS to offset remaining positive carbon emissions in the power sector.
  • The DoE confirms its view that BECCS is woody biomass with post-combustion CCS – the model that Drax has led the world in developing.
  • It states: “BECCS results in a net negative emissions rate because carbon from the atmosphere is captured during photosynthesis and then sequestered after combustion.”
  • To get to 100% clean electricity by 2035, deployment of BECCS must start by 2026 and the installed capacity range must be between 7 and 14GW.
  • They believe that 7-14GW of BECCS can offset 250-375GW of fossil fuel because it acts as a capacity multiplier.
  • They believe there is 105 million dry tonnes of sustainable woody biomass fibre available per year to be mobilised
  • In the ‘constrained’ scenario, BECCS deploys ahead of DAC, highlighting it is viewed as the most efficient and effective form of CCS.

Responding to the findings, Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“The evidence couldn’t be any clearer – only through deploying BECCS at scale can the United States cut its carbon emissions while simultaneously benefitting from reliable, homegrown renewable power to strengthen its energy independence.

“BECCS is vital because it can produce reliable renewable power whilst also permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – no other technology does both.

“Drax is the world’s leader in developing power BECCS, having been the first company in the world to capture carbon dioxide from purely biomass combustion. We have been making very encouraging progress towards in delivering BECCS in North America and progressing with site selection, government engagement and technology development

“With the right support from governments, such as the increase in the level of support for carbon removal projects in the Inflation Reduction Act, we stand ready to invest billions in deploying BECCS at scale across the globe to cut carbon emissions and generate renewable power for millions of homes and businesses.”

Ends

Background

  • Drax is the world leader in developing power BECCS, having been the first to capture carbon dioxide from a 100% biomass feedstock post-combustion.
  • The company is currently progressing plans to build the world’s largest power in carbon capture and storage project at its UK plant in North Yorkshire.
  • Once scaled-up, the BECCS project in the UK could capture and store eight million tonnes of CO2 each year.
  • Across the globe, the company plans to deliver at least four million tonnes of negative emissions outside of the UK by the end of this decade.
  • Drax has 18 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around 5 million tonnes a year across the U.S. and Canada.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner responds to the government’s new power BECCS project submission

24 August 2022

Press releases

In case you missed it, this morning the UK Government published a document launching a power BECCS project submission process with the intention of bringing forward projects that meet their eligibility and deliverability assessment into their Track-1 process for CCS clusters. This is consistent with our ambition for deploying BECCS at Drax Power Station in the 2020s.

From mid-December the Government will announce which power BECCS projects it intends to invite to enter into a detailed due diligence phase.

The information in the power BECCS document reiterates Government’s supportive position stating that:

‘Power BECCS can deliver on two strategic commitments for government: providing large-scale negative emissions to contribute towards engineered removal targets and generating low carbon power, which contributes to security of supply. With the 2030 goal of 5MtCO₂/year of engineered removals in mind, the progress of the Cluster Sequencing Process, and the technical readiness of power BECCS, enabling power BECCS projects to synchronise to Track-1 could enable deployment of BECCS within the 2020s.’

Drax’s response to today’s announcement, is copied below:

Drax CEO, Will Gardiner

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said:

“This announcement shows the government’s continued commitment to decarbonising the economy by deploying the vital carbon removal technology bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). This could kick start a whole new sector of the economy and support energy security.

“BECCS is vital because it can produce reliable renewable power whilst also permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – no other technology does both.

“Drax plans to invest £2bn in what will be the biggest carbon capture in power project in the world, supporting UK carbon targets and energy security, delivering thousands of jobs in the north in the 2020s, and creating new export opportunities.”

Background:

  • The government has already identified the advanced readiness of some greenhouse gas removal (GGR) projects, such as power BECCS.
  • It recently published a consultation on a business model to support power BECCS and we expect further detail on the role of BECCS in meeting Net Zero to be provided in the biomass strategy which is due to be published later this year.