Archives: Press Release

Drax supports post-Covid recovery with new Scottish apprentices

16 September 2020

Press releases
Scottish Apprentices

Energy company Drax is kickstarting careers in engineering by extending its apprenticeship scheme across Scotland.

Drax has appointed the new apprentices as part of its commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education, ensuring its workforce in Scotland has the skills needed to support a post-covid economic recovery.

Nathan Harbinson, Lanark apprentice

Nathan Harbinson, Lanark apprentice

Mike Maudsley, Drax Group’s UK Portfolio Generation Director, said:

“Meeting our apprentices is one of the highlights of my job – these are the young people with the enthusiasm and raw talent to deliver the cutting-edge technologies of the future.

“Through these apprenticeships we aim to nurture that talent so they develop valuable skills – we want to have a workforce with the expertise that Drax, and Scotland, needs to thrive, especially as we recover from the Covid-crisis.”

Ross Davie – Daldowie apprentice

Ross Davie – Daldowie apprentice

The budding engineers will join Drax at its Cruachan pumped storage hydro power station, in Argyll and Bute, Galloway hydro power scheme, Lanark hydro power scheme and the Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow.

Ross Davie, aged 18, who has joined Drax’s Daldowie fuel from waste plant as a technical apprentice, said: “It has been a very uncertain time for young people like me looking to start their careers over the last few months, because of Covid. To not only secure an engineering apprenticeship, but one based at Drax’s Daldowie plant, is incredibly exciting.”

This is the second time Drax has invested in apprenticeships at its Scottish sites since it acquired them as part of a wider portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets at the start of last year. The continued investment in young people has been welcomed by the Scottish Government.

Jamie Hepburn, Skills Minister, said:

“As we recover from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic it is vital that we continue to develop Scotland’s young workforce to equip people with the skills they need to succeed while meeting the emerging needs and opportunities of our employers and economy.

“Apprenticeships are not only valuable for our young people, they are a fantastic way for all employers to invest in their workforce and provide the skills the economy needs now and in the future.

“I am delighted that Drax continues to nurture new talent by appointing apprentices as part of its commitment to STEM skills and training. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all those starting out in a new career the very best.”

Drax’s technical apprenticeship scheme gives new recruits the opportunity to gain skills and expertise by working alongside highly qualified engineers. It is a four-year programme, and specialises in three engineering disciplines: Mechanical, Electrical and Control & Instrumentation.

This year’s apprentices at Drax’s Scottish sites are all aged 18 and live locally. They will start work at the Drax sites once they have completed formal training at East Kilbride Group Training Association (EKGTA).

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: 07712670888

Editor’s Notes 

This year’s apprentices at Drax’s Scottish operations are:

  • Ross Davie (18) who will be working at Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow
  • Paul Firth (18) who will be working at Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow
  • Ross McCaskill (18) who will be working at Cruachan pumped hydro power station, Argyll and Bute
  • Aaron Broatch (18) who will be working at Galloway hydro power scheme
  • Nathan Harbinson (18) who will be working at Lanark hydro power scheme.

Drax has been running an apprenticeship scheme for almost two decades at its eponymous power station in North Yorkshire.

During the Covid pandemic Drax has invested in young people and supported the communities it operates in through a number of different initiatives, including:

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:

Through its two B2B energy supply brands, Haven Power and Opus Energy, Drax supplies energy to 250,000 businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com/uk

 

 

Will Gardiner comments on joining Energy Leaders’ Coalition

Press releases
Draw Group CEO, Will Gardiner

“Women hold around a fifth of senior roles at Drax – more than the global average for energy companies – but we can do much better and I am committed to make that happen, because it’s the right thing to do and diverse and inclusive businesses are more successful. We aim to progress women and people from diverse backgrounds throughout all levels of our business and are taking steps to achieve that from even the earliest stages of career development by working with schools, colleges and universities. Joining the Energy Leaders’ Coalition gives us a helpful forum to learn what works and what doesn’t so we can ensure that we continue to drive meaningful change across a sector that has historically faced a long-standing gender and diversity imbalance.”

Read more about the coalition.

COVID lockdown made Britain’s electricity system cleaner and cheaper, but harder to control

31 August 2020

Press releases

  • Latest Drax Electric insights report shows renewables up 32% year-on-year as biomass, wind and solar set new generation records in Q2 2020.

  • Cleanest ever quarter as carbon emissions fall by a third compared to the same period last year, and the carbon intensity of electricity fell to an all-time low of 21 g/kWh on the Spring Bank Holiday.

  • Wholesale power prices down 42% from same quarter last year as demand plummets during lockdown.

  • Cost to balance the grid rises to over £100 million per month as pumped hydro storage and CCGTs called on to manage low demand and high generation from wind and solar sources.

As businesses shut up shop and millions of people were furloughed or working from home during the second quarter of 2020, independent analysis, conducted via Imperial Consultants, by academics from Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights shows the impact this had on our electricity system.

Lower electricity demand combined with exceptional weather propelled renewables to their greatest ever share of electricity, forcing prices and carbon emissions down to record levels, as well as reducing the need for nuclear and fossil fuel power. At one point renewable electricity sources were providing almost 70% (69.5%) of Britain’s electricity.

The report also highlights how this combination of reduced demand and increased renewable generation meant a record amount of money was spent on keeping the system stable between April and June.

Chart: The quarterly-average cost of balancing the power system

The quarterly-average cost of balancing the power system, expressed as a percentage of the cost of generation [click to view/download]

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

“The past few months have given the country a glimpse into the future for our power system, with higher levels of renewable energy and lower demand make for a difficult balancing act. To help the country decarbonise further it is vital that flexible technologies which provide power and system stability play an increasing role in our grid.”

Alongside keeping power supply and demand perfectly in balance, National Grid ESO must also stabilise the system. It does this by ensuring there is not just the right amount of megawatts available to meet demand – but also the right kind of MWs.

During Q2 wind and solar power provided a lot of the electricity required by the grid, which helped the carbon intensity fall to 153 g/kWh averaged over the quarter – its lowest on record. However, these technologies are unable to provide all the services needed to stabilise the system, such as inertia, which is essential for maintaining the grid’s frequency at 50Hz and preventing power cuts.

Whilst wholesale prices fell 42% as a result of falling demand during the period, balancing prices rose from being just 5% of wholesale prices typically over the last decade to 20%, with the cost of the actions taken to stabilise the system averaging £100 million per month during the first half of this year.

Mike Maudsley, Drax Group’s UK Portfolio Generation Director

Mike Maudsley, Drax Group’s UK Portfolio Generation Director, said:

“It has been a challenging time for everyone in the country and for our power system. The last few months have underlined the importance of flexible, low carbon technologies to enable the UK’s power system to evolve and provide the secure and sustainable electricity supplies a zero carbon economy needs.”

ENDS

Top image caption: sourced from Adobe Stock. Branksome Chine Beach, Poole, Dorset, UK during COVID-19 – 1st April 2020.

Editor’s notes

Front cover of Drax Electric Insights Q2 2020 report

Electric Insights Q2 2020 report [click to view/download]

The lockdown shattered power system records:

  • Electricity output from wind, solar and biomass were each up more than 10% on this quarter last year.
  • May was Britain’s first coal-free calendar month since the Industrial Revolution as the country went an unprecedented 67 days without the fuel on the grid.
  • Demand fell to its lowest levels this century, falling below 17 GW on the 28th of June.
  • The country’s four pumped hydro storage power stations supplied a record 7.9% of power at one stage during the quarter as they helped to balance the system and keep it stable.

For more information visit electricinsights.co.uk or download the full report.

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849 090 368

Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07912230393

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 are backed by an interactive website electricinsights.co.uk which provides data from 2009 until the present.

Uniquely, Electric Insights provides real time data about the UK’s transmission grid as well as embedded wind and solar generation which is not available from other sources

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:

Through its two B2B energy supply brands, Haven Power and Opus Energy, Drax supplies energy to 250,000 businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com/uk

Will Gardiner responds to BECCS report for BEIS by Ricardo AEA

25 August 2020

Press releases
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner

“This report provides further confirmation that the UK’s target of being net zero by 2050 is only achievable with negative emissions delivered by bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – a technology which Drax is pioneering and with the right policy and investment framework from government, could develop at scale in the 2020s.

“Developing BECCS will not only deliver for the climate but also for the economy, powering a post-Covid green recovery – whilst positioning the UK as a world-leader in a ground-breaking new technology.

“It is the most cost-effective negative emissions technology available and uniquely it also produces flexible, renewable electricity – demand for which will grow as the economy decarbonises further.”

View the report:  ‘Analysing the potential of bioenergy with carbon capture in the UK to 2050’

Read by why experts think BECCS will be an essential part of the energy system

Will Gardiner comments on CCUS business models consultation

17 August 2020

Press releases
CCUS incubation area, Drax Power Station, July 2019

“I welcome the Government’s publication on CCUS today.  Now is the time to make this happen if we are to meet the UK’s net zero targets by 2050, and reduce global warming. Only today Death Valley recorded the highest temperature ever recorded on earth, at 54.4C/ 130F.  We must harness the potential of CCUS technology where the UK can lead the world. I am pleased the Government sees BECCS as a pathway for negative emissions. I look forward to working with the Government to make BECCS happen”.

‘Hollow Mountain’ Cruachan Power Station set for £1M upgrade

Press releases
Employees working inside power station Where: Cruachan, Scotland

The upgrade will see the station’s current programmable logic controller (PLC) computer system replaced with a new design to put the station at the cutting edge of energy technology to improve Cruachan’s efficiency. World-leading control system builders ITI will undertake the design, installation and commissioning of the upgrade across the station’s four units.

Cruachan plays a critical role in stabilising the country’s electricity system throughout the Covid-19 pandemic due to its flexibility. The plant can generate power in less than a minute when needed and can also store excess electricity from the grid like a giant battery, a service which was called upon when the low electricity demand during the lockdown coincided with periods of high wind power in Scotland.

The plant’s reversible turbines pump water from Loch Awe to an upper reservoir on the mountainside to store excess power from the grid. The stored water is then released back through the turbines to generate power quickly and reliably when demand increases. In July, Cruachan became the first power station in Britain to provide critical system support services to the National Grid as part of a world-first stability contract aimed at reducing the threat of blackouts.

Ian Kinnaird, Drax Group’s Head of Hydro, said:

“Cruachan plays a critical role in supporting renewable energy in Scotland and stabilising the electricity grid.

“As the country continues to decarbonise, the station’s flexibility has never been more important. This upgrade will ensure the Hollow Mountain can deliver the fast, flexible power that hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses rely on for many decades to come.”

Control room operator at Cruachan Power Station

ITI has a long history with Cruachan and the other hydro assets which Drax owns and operates in Scotland. ITI is the new name for Servelec Controls, the systems integration experts who installed the current PLC control systems in 1987 and built the control system which allows the Lanark and Galloway Hydro Schemes to be remotely managed when needed from Cruachan’s underground cavern from a single interface.

Bryn Thomas, Sales Director for Power and Infrastructure at ITI said:

“We’ve been working at Cruachan Power Station for over 30 years now, and in that time have developed a deep understanding of their assets, their systems and their operational requirements. It is these strong relationships with our customers that enable us to work with them on developing transformative solutions that enhance their operations, improve safety and support sustainable green energy production.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The three-year project will be run by a team of highly qualified and experienced engineers based out of ITI’s Glasgow office. The office is currently operating with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place to allow the critical engineers to progress the project while their colleagues continue to safely work remotely, from home.

For more information visit www.drax.com/uk

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849 090 368

Stephanie Windmill
Head of Marketing
E: [email protected]
T: 07973 827360

About ITI

Originally formed in 1972, ITI, formerly Servelec Controls, is one of the leading independent systems integrators in the UK. From offices in Sheffield, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Warrington, it delivers on a local level, to leading owner operators in the oil and gas, renewables, power, infrastructure and defence industries.

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.

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:  

Through its two B2B energy supply brands, Haven Power and Opus Energy, Drax supplies energy to 250,000 businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com/uk

GB Railfreight and Drax Extend Rail Contract to Transport Biomass Until 2025

6 August 2020

Press releases
A GBRf biomass train makes its way from Drax Power Station after February floods. By Chris Davis

GB Railfreight (GBRf) and Drax have agreed to extend their contract to transport supplies of sustainable biomass from UK ports to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire until 2025.

Teams at GBRf have worked closely with Drax for the past decade to maintain the supplies of sustainable biomass needed for the UK’s largest power station to continue generating the flexible and reliable renewable power for millions of UK homes and businesses. This deal is critical to Drax’s global biomass supply chain and another step on its journey to negative emissions.

Drax supplies 11% of the UK’s renewable electricity. Using sustainable biomass instead of coal at Drax Power Station has reduced emissions by more than 80% and helped the UK power system decarbonise faster than any other country in Europe.

Under the terms of the contract, GBRf will run all of Drax tonnage from the Ports of Tyne and Liverpool to Drax Power Station.

The partnership between GBRf and Drax dates back to 2010 when GBRf began moving biomass by rail from the Port of Tyne. Originally, GBRf used wagons that had been converted from coal hoppers by adding lids and these remain in use under the new contract. As Drax converted more of its coal units at the power station to sustainable biomass, Drax invested in new purpose-built biomass wagons that are larger and therefore more efficient at carrying the pellets.

In the past year, the longstanding relationship between Drax and GBRf has helped overcome challenges such as the local floods in February to the Drax branch line and then the Covid-19 crisis, ensuring continuous flows of biomass that helped keep the power station running and the lights on in Britain.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“I am delighted to be continuing GB Railfreight’s ongoing partnership with Drax. We will continue to deliver vital supplies of sustainable biomass for a further five years, ensuring power is generated in a clean and sustainable way as well as reducing the UK’s carbon emissions.

“The announcement also comes at a time of great economic uncertainty for our country. We at GBRf remain committed to getting the UK economy back on track and having worked with Drax over the last few months during testing times I know we will continue to work closely in the months and years to come as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.”

Mike Maudsley, UK Portfolio Generation Director at Drax said:

“GBRf’s rail deliveries are a critical part of our global supply chain for sustainable biomass that supports thousands of jobs and has delivered economic growth across the north of England, while supplying renewable electricity to millions of homes and businesses.

“We’re very pleased to extend our existing contract with GBRf for another five years and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with the team.”

ENDS

Picture caption:

A train carrying sustainable biomass arrives at Drax Power Station in Selby, Yorkshire.

Media contact:

Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07912230393

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.

About Drax

Its 2,900-strong employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

Power generation:

Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable electricity generation assets across Britain. 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 two thirds of 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.  It also owns and operates four gas power stations in England.

Customers:

Through its two B2B energy supply brands, Haven Power and Opus Energy, Drax supplies energy to 250,000 businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.

Pellet production:

Drax owns and operates three pellet mills in the US South which manufacture compressed wood pellets (biomass) produced from sustainably managed working forests. These pellet mills supply around 20% of the biomass used by Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses.

For more information visit www.drax.com/uk

About GB Railfreight

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom, GB Railfreight is the third largest rail freight operator in the United Kingdom, with a turnover expected to exceed £200 million in 2019. GB Railfreight is one of the fastest growing companies in the railway sector and transports goods for a wide range of customers.

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Visit www.gbrailfreight.com

Community views sought on Drax plans

Press releases
Flue gas desulphurisation unit at Drax Power Station

Local people are being asked to give their views on proposals Drax has to demolish some disused infrastructure at its power station near Selby, and to develop its biomass handling facilities.

The two remaining coal generation units at Drax will be turned off in March next year, leaving behind some supporting infrastructure which will no longer be needed, including the plant’s Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) system.

Drax has transformed the power station by converting four generating units to use sustainable biomass to produce 11% of the country’s renewable electricity. Because biomass produces much lower levels of sulphur than coal, the FGD system has become obsolete and will no longer be required.

Alongside the FGD demolition, Drax  is investigating the possibility of developing its biomass handling facilities. This could include silos similar to the plant’s existing storage and conveyor systems being constructed. The existing limestone and gypsum storage buildings could also be re-utilised to handle biomass after Drax stops using coal.

Following consultation with the local community, the plans will be submitted to Selby District Council for consideration. The public can safely view and provide feedback on the proposals using Drax’s interactive virtual planning exhibition, which can be accessed on the website at www.drax.com/uk/VirtualConsultation.

Progress Power planning consent extension

28 July 2020

Press releases

The decision means the expiry date for commencing the construction of the development permitted by the Progress Power (Gas Fired Power Station) Order has been extended by 12 months due to the uncertainties and constraints posed by COVID-19. No other changes were sought to the Order.

Copies of the application, the Secretary of State’s decision and accompanying documents, plans and maps are available for inspection here.

You can also view the application and its accompanying documents, plans and maps via the Planning Inspectorate’s website: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/progress-power-station/?ipcsection=overview.

If you require a hard copy of the application and its accompanying documents, plans and maps, please contact Progress Power Limited at [email protected] or on 020 8392 8250.

Media contact:

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
E: [email protected]
T: 07849090368

Project contact:

Progress Power
E: [email protected]
T: +44 1757 618381