Tag: solar

Why flexibility has become the UK’s shock absorber

7 August 2026

Opinion

This article has been republished with permission from Enlit World.

Britain’s electricity system has never stood still. Over the past century it has continually reinvented itself to meet the needs of the country it serves.

The first major tasks of energy transformation in the twentieth century included mass electrification and cleaning up power generation – driven by the formation of the National Grid in 1926, the phase out of coal, and the growth of renewable energy.

Today, three major pressures have converged including the continued growth of renewable energy, which is bringing greater intermittency into the electricity system, electricity demand is rising sharply as more sectors electrify and the grid is coming under greater strain as new technologies and infrastructure connect to the network.

These are creating a new defining test: building system flexibility that can respond to more variable supply, volatile demand, and a strained grid. Flexibility is not a nice-to-have. It is the system’s shock absorber.

Essential flexibility

Flexibility operates on both the supply and demand sides of the energy equation, in the form of storage, generation (dispatchable and renewable), smart energy management, and shifting workloads.

Achieving this depends on a range of technologies – including transmission infrastructure, flexible generation assets, long-duration energy storage and battery energy storage systems (BESS), and asset optimisation platforms that help manage electricity demand and supply in real time – each playing an important role in supporting a more resilient grid.

No single technology provides the answer. Together, they help balance intermittent renewable generation, maintain system reliability, improve resilience during periods of high demand and reduce overall system costs.

As energy requirements continue to evolve, flexibility has become just as important as generation itself in ensuring the UK can deliver a secure, reliable and lower-carbon electricity system.

Beyond energy

Getting flexibility right delivers benefits that extend well beyond the energy sector.

Recent geopolitical events – from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to renewed tensions in the Middle East – have highlighted how quickly international energy markets can become volatile. Energy security and national security are becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

Greater domestic generation and increased system flexibility can help reduce that exposure, improve overall system efficiency, support more stable long-term energy costs, encourage investment and job creation, and strengthen the UK’s industrial competitiveness.

Most importantly, it creates the platform for broader economic modernisation. A flexible and resilient electricity system will help enable the technologies, industries and businesses that will drive the UK’s next chapter of growth.

Powering innovation

Any discussion about the future of the UK’s electricity system quickly turns to artificial intelligence. The UK Government forecasts that the country will need at least 6GW of AI-capable data centre capacity by 2030, which is roughly three times more than today’s capacity.

Data centres’ energy needs constantly fluctuate – sometimes by hundreds of megawatts per minute. As workloads surge, pause and restart, the challenge cannot be met by more power alone, but also needs to account for how that power is managed dynamically.

AI will undoubtedly play an important role in shaping future electricity demand patterns, but it is only one part of a much broader picture.

Reliable electricity underpins almost every area of modern innovation. We often think about breakthroughs in healthcare, advanced manufacturing or artificial intelligence as separate stories. The reality is they are not.

They all have one thing in common: they depend on a resilient, flexible electricity system. From more effective cancer treatments and AI-enabled medical imaging to increasingly automated factories and the data centres powering the digital economy, electricity is what makes those innovations possible.

I’ve always considered energy the silent partner behind economic growth. It may not always be the focus of public attention, but it is fundamental to enabling innovation across every sector. However, flexibility is what will decide whether that partner can keep up.

Without a system that can respond to changing patterns of demand, many of those ambitions simply cannot happen at the same speed, or they come at greater cost.

This changing reality has shaped our own thinking. We’ve been evolving from a predominantly single-technology business into a provider of system flexibility.

Defining test

Today, we’re investing across open cycle gas turbines (OCGTs), BESS and renewable generation. Our recommended offer for Bluefield Solar Income Fund has the potential to add approximately 900MW of solar and wind generation. Combined with our other flexible generation assets, our portfolio could exceed 3GW of power capacity if our offer is accepted.

For me, that’s not simply about growing our portfolio. It’s about ensuring we’re investing in the dynamic capabilities the UK will need to power progress. This is where Drax can play a different role not just producing power but helping the system respond when it matters most.

The UK’s electricity system has continually adapted to meet new challenges over the past century, and effectively managing rising demand, intermittency, and more complex patterns of supply and demand will be no different.

That is why the next phase of our energy transition relies not simply on generating more renewable power, but ensuring we have the flexible infrastructure required to use it effectively.

Drax’s Biggest Deal Marks its Next Transformation

31 July 2026

Opinion

For much of the last century, the key question was where electricity would come from. Now, the energy transition is entering a new phase. Increasingly, the question is not where the power would come from but how we can make the system work better.

Britain is seeing record levels of renewable and intermittent generation, growing electricity demand, increasing electrification and the emergence of AI-driven infrastructure that will require substantial new sources of power. At the same time, the system must remain secure, resilient and affordable. No single technology can deliver security, affordability and decarbonisation alone. The system needs renewables, flexible generation and storage working together. And we need to make the most effective use of every asset on the system.

There is a huge opportunity for the UK to unlock further investment in the energy infrastructure needed while supporting growth across the country. But making that opportunity a reality will require government and industry to work closely together to remove barriers to investment, speed up project delivery and accelerate reform of the grid and connection process. It also means making better use of existing infrastructure and connection capacity to meet rising demand and maintain UK competitiveness.

As Britain’s electricity network becomes more dynamic and decentralised, value increasingly comes from connecting technologies together and ensuring they operate efficiently.

Our ambition is to be at the forefront of that evolution.

Today marks an important milestone for Drax in our strategy to do just that, as we complete the acquisition of Bluefield Solar Income Fund.

The transaction adds around 900MW of operational solar and wind assets, alongside a 2.9GW development pipeline including joint ventures, making it the largest acquisition in our company’s history.

This acquisition is not just another addition to our portfolio; it’s about transforming our business to deliver what the UK energy system needs. I have seen Drax change profoundly over the last decade. Each time, the reason has been the same- Britains energy system has changed, and Drax has changed with it. When Drax Power Station was built, Britain needed reliable, dispatchable power to support economic growth and an expanding industrial economy. As climate change became an increasingly urgent challenge, we transformed Western Europe’s largest coal fired power station into Britain’s largest single source of renewable electricity, helping deliver a significant reduction in the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels while maintaining security of supply.

I am proud of Drax’s history, but I’m even more excited about what is coming next.

We are building a portfolio that combines biomass, hydro, pumped storage, battery storage, flexible gas generation, solar power, wind and market optimisation capabilities.

Today’s acquisition is a critical milestone in that strategy. It adds a substantial portfolio of operational solar and wind assets and a significant development pipeline, strengthening our renewable generation business at a time when the country needs more clean power. Combined with our existing flexible generation and battery portfolio, these assets strengthen our ability to support the electricity system during periods of both high renewable output and high demand.

With BESS and OCGT development sites included, our renewable generation business and flexible generation assets combined will have a power capacity of over 3GW – larger than Drax Power Station’s 2.6GW for the first time.

Earlier this year, we also completed the acquisition of Flexitricity, reflecting our belief that technology, optimisation and market participation will become increasingly important components of a successful energy business.

The thread running through this announcement is not just the acquisition of new assets, but that Drax is building a more diverse business built for what Britain needs.

Today’s acquisition helps us build the kind of company that can meet the challenge of energy security, affordability and sustainability. The opportunity ahead is not simply to generate more electricity, but to deliver more value from every megawatt. That is the future of energy — and it is where Drax intends to lead.

Drax completes ‘transformational’ £548 million acquisition of solar and wind assets

News

Drax Group plc is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of renewable energy company Bluefield Solar Income Fund Limited (BSIF). The deal is transformative for Drax, adding solar and wind assets to our generation portfolio for the first time.

The deal provides Drax with 0.9GW of operating and under construction solar and wind assets, as well as a gross development pipeline of 2.9GW which could be constructed across the next decade. When combined with Drax’s BESS and OCGT development sites, our renewable generation business and flexible generation assets will have a larger combined power capacity of over 3GW than Drax Power Station’s 2.6GW for the first time.

The acquisition will increase the role Drax plays in supporting the UK’s goals of strengthening energy security, keeping power affordable and accelerating decarbonisation. Drax expects the deal to be backed by strong cash generation from BSIF’s existing operational portfolio, disciplined capital investment and attractive returns for Drax shareholders.

Drax Group CEO, Will Gardiner, said: “This is a transformational moment for Drax. By adding solar and wind to our portfolio for the first time, we are broadening the role we can play in supporting the UK’s energy security and helping to decarbonise the power system.

“As demand for electricity grows, the UK will need more renewable power, alongside the flexible generation and system support needed to keep the grid secure. This acquisition strengthens our platform for growth and will help us deliver long-term value for our shareholders.

“We’re proud to have been at the heart of Britain’s energy system for sixty years, and we’re investing in and evolving our business now to ensure we continue to deliver what the country needs for decades to come.”

Demand for electricity in the UK is expected to grow significantly in the years ahead, driven by new technologies such as AI and data centres, as well as the electrification of transport and industry. Drax believes the addition of solar and wind assets will strengthen its ability to support UK energy security, help decarbonise the power system and create long-term value for the business.

ENDS

Notes to editors

On 1 June 2026, the boards of Bluefield Solar Income Fund and Drax announced that they had reached agreement on an all-cash acquisition of BSIF by Drax, subject to BSIF shareholder approval. Following shareholder approval and completion of the court hearing today, the acquisition has now been approved and is effective from 31 July 2026.

Media contact

Aidan Kerr
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

About Drax

Drax’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Our strategic aims are to be a UK leader in flexible, renewable generation and a global leader in sustainable biomass pellet production.

Our operations

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable UK power assets – biomass, hydro, solar, wind, pumped storage and OCGT generation – which provide power and system support services to the electricity grid.

We are the UK’s largest source of renewable power by output, and Drax Power Station is the UK’s largest single source of renewable electricity by output.

Through our pellet production facilities in North America, Drax is a leading integrated producer of sustainable biomass.

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

Website: www.drax.com

Why the energy transition demands a new playbook

1 June 2026

Opinion

During the last bank holiday weekend, as Britain basked in the sunshine, the national grid quietly made history. Demand plummeted to an all-time low of just 12.6GW – roughly the average daily demand of the Philippines. This was nearly four times less than we consumed on a cold, dark Thursday evening in January when the nation cranked up the heating and turned on the kettle.

Seasonal demand swings are nothing new, and for decades have proved a rule that traditional, dispatchable assets like Drax Power Station are the backbone of our energy security. But in this week of warm weather and unprecedented low demand, solar has generated as much as half of the power Britain consumed – an unthinkable achievement ten years ago.

Intermittent wind and solar, battery storage, electric vehicles and AI are changing our energy system profoundly and in real time. How government, the system operator and companies like Drax manage this change can be measured not in the millions but in the billions of pounds of difference to the British economy every year.

At Drax our mission has always been to deliver what the country needs. For over sixty years, our assets have provided secure electricity to millions of the UK’s households and businesses. When climate change became a national imperative, we did what many thought impossible and transformed Western Europe’s largest coal fired power station into Britain’s largest single source of renewable electricity. Today, we are once more investing to deliver in the national interest.

Our recommended offer for Bluefield Solar Income Fund is a key moment for our business and its next phase. This would be the largest deal in our history, and with BESS and OCGT development sites included, our renewable generation business and flexible generation assets combined will have a larger power capacity of over 3GW than Drax Power Station’s 2.6GW for the first time.

Potentially adding around 900MW of solar and wind with another 2.9GW pipeline of development, including JVs, into the Drax portfolio could mean we are able to keep the lights on whether it is a baking hot bank holiday or a damp and dreary January. And critically the cost of power generated by solar and wind is not impacted by the ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

We’re building a diverse portfolio of hydro, batteries, gas, and now potentially wind and solar alongside a trading capability that will enable us to help deliver the UK’s energy security efficiently and affordably. We’re proud to have been at the heart of Britain’s energy system for sixty years, and we’re investing in and evolving our business now to ensure we continue to deliver what the country needs for decades to come.

Please find the full announcement of the recommended acquisition of BSIF through the following link: https://polaris.brighterir.com/public/drax_group/news/rns/story/r7kk2zw

From boardrooms to classrooms: why energy efficiency matters now more than ever

28 April 2026

Opinion

The debate about Britain’s energy future is often framed in terms of large-scale infrastructure and national policy. But some of the most immediate and meaningful progress happens much closer to home, namely on rooftops, in classrooms, and inside the buildings we use every day.

That is why energy efficiency is not a “nice to have”. It is one of the fastest, fairest and most cost‑effective ways to lower bills, cut carbon emissions and strengthen energy resilience, particularly for schools and households under financial pressure.

Our Scotland Community Manager with Head Teacher and pupils from Taynuilt Primary School

Over recent years, Drax has focused on turning that principle into action. Through the Drax Foundation, we invested over £1.2 million in programmes that improve energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty in the communities where we operate last year. In 2025 alone, 22 schools benefited from new LED lighting and or solar installations, cutting electricity bills by an average of over 60%, while also reducing emissions and improving energy literacy among pupils. Over the same period, more than 1,000 households experiencing fuel poverty received direct financial and practical support to help keep the lights on and homes warm.

These are not abstract benefits. For schools, lower energy bills free up scarce budgets to reinvest in teaching, facilities and student support. For families facing fuel poverty, energy efficiency can be the difference between persistent crisis and long‑term stability.

This local impact matters even more in the context of the UK Government’s renewed emphasis on rooftop solar for public buildings. The recent announcement by Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero, to extend solar installations to a further 100 schools and colleges recognises something we see first‑hand. Energy efficiency and on‑site renewables deliver immediate savings and long‑term resilience.

Drax’s work with schools over the past three years reflects that same logic. By pairing physical improvements such as solar panels and efficient lighting with education and data‑led energy management tools, schools are empowered not only to cut costs today, but to embed long‑term energy‑smart behaviours across their communities.

Importantly, this commitment starts at home. In February 2025, Drax Group approved an £850,000 investment to install solar panels across our Lanark and Galloway hydro sites – once complete, these installations are expected to generate around 480MWh of renewable electricity. The primary aim is to displace our demand for electricity drawn from the grid, with any additional power to be given back to the grid. The project is expected to reduce annual Scope 2 emissions across eight hydro facilities by around 500 tonnes of CO₂e and support the displacement of fossil‑based generation within the national grid.

Delivering this project has required exceptional care and collaboration, from navigating grid connection processes to sensitively installing panels on historic buildings. It highlights both the practical challenges and the long‑term value of investing in energy efficiency and on‑site renewables. Beyond the emissions savings, the project also demonstrates the strong complementarity of hydro and solar power, which generate at different times and together help strengthen system resilience.

As pressure on public finances, households and energy systems continues to grow, the lesson is clear. Some of the most impactful climate and affordability solutions are already available. Energy efficiency is fast, proven and scalable and, when combined with targeted solar investment, it delivers benefits that communities can feel almost immediately.

The transition to a lower‑carbon, lower‑cost energy system will not be achieved by a single policy or technology alone. But by focusing on practical action in schools, in communities, and in our own operations, we can make progress that is both measurable and meaningful.

Tag: solar

Why flexibility has become the UK’s shock absorber