Archives: Press Release

Drax acquires Cruachan Power Station as part of £702m power deal

10 January 2019

Press releases

The pumped storage power station is located in the hollowed-out mountain Ben Cruachan, and was built in the 1960s. It is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the South East of England, the East of England and the East Midlands,.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Cruachan Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there – the way this truly unique power station has been built and operates inside the mountain really is an incredible feat of engineering.  

“By being able to run the plant in a range of different modes, we can generate very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind power onto the system.”

Cruachan is one of only four pumped storage power stations in the UK and works like an enormous rechargeable battery, temporarily storing energy by managing water resources between a reservoir in the Argyll hills and Loch Awe, 396m below.

Using its reversible turbines, the station pumps water from Loch Awe to fill the upper reservoir at times when demand for electricity is low. When demand increases, the stored water can be released through the plant’s turbines to generate power quickly and reliably.

The plant usually runs for short periods to meet peaks in demand, but it can operate continuously at full output for around 15 hours if necessary.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW) in Argyll, run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility at Daldowie, near Glasgow.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforces the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of renewable electricity.

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations in England acquired through the deal, Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

ENDS

Media contact:

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

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two,  thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photo

L-R: Martin Mcghie, O + M Manager, Cruachan Power Station; Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO; Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO.

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

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.

B2B supply:

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

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

Abergelli Project Update

8 January 2019

Press releases

The decision has been made because Watt Power (the parent company of Abergelli Power) was unable to secure contracts for its two consented 299MW gas-fired generation projects (in Suffolk and at Hirwaun, near Aberdare) through the Government’s recent Capacity Market Auction for future power generation (held in December 2015). If contracts are secured for these two consented projects in the Government’s next Capacity Market Auction (to be held in December 2016), Abergelli Power would look to submit a Development Consent Order application in 2017.

The City and County of Swansea, the local planning authority, has been notified.

Drax acquires Shoreham Power Station as part of £702m power deal

4 January 2019

Press releases

The gas-fired power station is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in the South East of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Shoreham Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there.

“This power station generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system.”

The 2.6GW portfolio consists of four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) stations in England: Shoreham in West Sussex (420MW), Rye House in Hertfordshire (715MW), Damhead Creek in Kent (805MW) and Blackburn Mill in Lancashire (60MW).

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW), run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility (Daldowie) in Scotland.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of renewable energy.

ENDS

Media contacts:

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

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

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.

B2B supply:

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

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

Drax acquires Damhead Creek Power Station as part of £702m power deal

Press releases

The gas-fired power station is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in the South East of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Damhead Creek Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there.

“This power station generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system.”

The 2.6GW portfolio includes four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) stations in England: Damhead Creek in Kent (805MW), Shoreham in West Sussex (420MW), Rye House in Hertfordshire (715MW), and Blackburn Mill in Lancashire (60MW).

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW), run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility (Daldowie) in Scotland.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of flexible and renewable electricity.

ENDS

Media contacts:

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

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

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.

B2B supply:

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

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

Drax acquires Rye House Power Station as part of £702m power deal

3 January 2019

Press releases

The gas-fired power station is part of a portfolio of hydro, pumped storage and gas power generation assets which have been sold by Spanish company Iberdrola to Drax Group – owners of the UK’s largest power station at Selby in North Yorkshire.

The deal adds a total of 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of Great Britain’s energy system.

Drax will now generate enough power for more than 8.3 million homes with operations in the South East of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“As a British energy company we’re really proud to be the new owners of these critical power stations across England and Scotland. We’re looking forward to working with our new colleagues at each of the sites and playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s power system.

“We’ve been to meet the team at Rye House Power Station and have been impressed with the skill and expertise there.

“This power station generates very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system.”

The 2.6GW portfolio includes four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) stations in England: Rye House in Hertfordshire (715MW), Damhead Creek in Kent (805MW),  Shoreham in West Sussex (420MW) and Blackburn Mill in Lancashire (60MW).

With the additional 2GW of gas power stations acquired through the deal Drax will be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin more solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The Scottish assets included in the deal are: Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW), run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility (Daldowie) in Scotland.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of flexible and renewable energy.

ENDS

Media contacts:

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

Editor’s Notes

  • The acquisition of the portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable assets was announced on October 16, 2018 and the deal completed on December 31, 2018
  • The deal increases Drax’s generating capacity by 60% and senior executives from Drax are visiting all of the new power stations to meet the teams which operate them.
  • The portfolio of assets is highly complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and will accelerate its development from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operator.
  • Having converted two thirds of Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed the business to become the biggest renewable electricity generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
  • Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations, with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

Photos

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 six 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.

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.

B2B supply:

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

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

Completion of deal means Drax will play bigger role at heart of Great Britain’s energy system

1 January 2019

Press releases

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Drax completes purchase of Iberdrola’s portfolio of flexible, low carbon & renewable assets

  • Drax will play bigger role in Great Britain’s energy system providing enough power for the equivalent of more than 8.3 million homes

  • Acquisitions ensure Drax can help support a power system with increasing intermittent renewable capacity by providing flexible generation and system support

  • Deal diversifies Drax portfolio and widens UK footprint

Drax is set to play a bigger role than ever in Great Britain’s energy system following the completion of the purchase of Spanish company Iberdrola’s portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable assets, for £702 million subject to customary adjustments.

The new power stations which will increase Drax’s electricity generation capacity by 60%, means the company will now provide enough power for the equivalent of more than 8.3 million homes.

Commenting on the completion of the deal Will Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Drax Group, said:

“As a British energy company, we are very proud to be the new owners of these critically important power stations across England and Scotland. For decades Drax has been at the heart of our energy system and now we’re going to play a bigger role than ever.

“We are investing in Great Britain by acquiring this portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable generation assets. They complement our existing activities by providing very flexible power which not only keeps the lights on for thousands of households, but also provides crucial system support services to the grid, maintaining secure supplies and enabling more renewables like wind and solar onto the system”.

The deal adds 2.6GW of generation capacity to Drax’s portfolio, reinforcing its position at the heart of the Great Britain’s energy system. Drax have national footprint with operations in Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, London, the East of England, the East Midlands and the South East of England.

The combination of hydro plants in Scotland with Drax’s biomass units in Yorkshire reinforce the company’s position as Great Britain’s biggest generator of renewable power. With the addition of 35% of Great Britain’s electricity storage capacity and 2GW of gas power stations Drax will also be better placed to provide the flexibility and stability to help underpin the increases in solar and wind power which will be needed in the decades to come if the UK is to meet its climate targets.

The 2.6GW portfolio consists of Cruachan pumped storage hydro (440MW) in Argyll, run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark (126MW) and a biomass-from-waste facility at Daldowie in Scotland as well as four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine stations in England: Damhead Creek (805MW) in Kent, Rye House (715MW) in Hertfordshire, Shoreham (420MW) in West Sussex and Blackburn Mill (60MW) in Lancashire.

The sites are complementary to Drax’s existing generation activities and means the company has developed from a single-site generation business into a multi-site, multi-technology operation.

Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, is the biggest renewable generator in the UK. Over the last decade Drax has converted two-thirds of what was Great Britain’s biggest coal fired power station to run on sustainable biomass, creating the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

Drax Group is now the Great Britain’s fifth largest non-domestic energy supplier and the biggest supplier of renewable power to UK businesses and organisations with over 350,000 now being provided with 100% renewable power.

The acquisition was announced on 16th October 2018.

On the 3rd December 2018, following the suspension of the capacity market, Drax announced a risk sharing agreement with Iberdrola, linked to 2019 capacity markets payments.

Shareholders approved the deal at a General Meeting held on 21st December 2018.

The acquisition formally completed on 31st December 2018.

Media:

Drax External Communications:

Matt Willey

+44 (0) 7711 376 087

Ali Lewis

+44 (0) 7712 670 888

Notes to editors

Regional press releases:

About Drax

Drax Group’s ambition is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Its 2,600-strong staff 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 Great Britain. The assets include the UK’s largest power station, based at Selby, North Yorkshire, which supplies six 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.

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.

B2B supply:

Drax owns two B2B energy supply businesses:

  • Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity and energy services to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.
  • Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity, energy services and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

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

Drax apprentice evening inspires the next generation

7 December 2018

Press releases

More than 160 students and parents attended the event at Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, to find out more about working at the site, which is the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

It was the first time the power station had held an event of this kind and it comes as it plans to increase the number of training roles available next year from nine to 12 – meaning it will have doubled the number of apprenticeships offered in the space of just two years.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, said:

“This event is helping us to build on our long-standing commitment to promoting education and skills in the North of England. Every business in the Northern Powerhouse region has a role to play in creating opportunities for young people and raising aspirations – encouraging them to develop the skills they’ll need in the future.

“Seeing so many young people attending events like this shows how important apprenticeships are to students, as well as to businesses like ours. Our apprentices are the rising stars at Drax – they’re the key to the long-term success of the business. An apprenticeship is a brilliant way to begin a career in a variety of roles here.”

The students who attended the open evening, most of whom were in their GCSE year, met with some of the current apprentices at the power station to hear about their experiences.

The mainly 15 and 16-year-old students were also able to sample a virtual tour of the power station and attend workshops on interview techniques and CV writing.

Resourcing manager Shelley Lawton, from Drax’s HR team, said the evening showcased the career opportunities at the site, which offers apprenticeships in both technical and office-based roles.

The event was part of Drax’s long-established community programme and commitment to learning and skills. It aimed to help students with their applications regardless of whether they’re planning to go on to further studies or pursue jobs at Drax, or elsewhere.

Shelley said:

“The evening was a real success and we hope to make it an annual event. The students were really engaged and had some excellent discussions with our current apprentices and staff members.

“Our 2019 apprenticeship scheme opens to applications in a couple of weeks. We’re looking forward to meeting our next generation of new starters who will help to continue to build our business.

“We hope the CV skills and interview technique workshops were useful to everyone who attended – whatever they plan to do after school. Not all of them will apply for a role at Drax but, hopefully, they’ll have learnt new skills which will help them to be successful in the roles they apply for in the future.”

Nine engineering apprentices began their careers at the Selby-based power station in September, a 50% increase on apprentice numbers on previous years as Drax continues to invest in and promote STEM skills. Twelve apprentice roles will be available in 2019.

The energy firm also sponsors a number of PhDs at Sheffield University, producing cutting-edge research into areas such as the impact of human behaviour on vehicle to grid technologies where, in the future, electric cars could store and discharge power back to the grid to support the electricity system.

Drax will be accepting applications for technical apprenticeships from December 19 until January 31 with further opportunities in business support areas, such as finance and business administration, becoming available throughout the year. Drax is keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds and to encourage diversity.

More information about apprenticeships is available on the Drax website.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Jessica Gorton
Drax Group Press Officer
[email protected]
+44 (0) 7712677177

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Interim Head of Media & PR
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 7712670888

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.

Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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

UK among world leaders in global energy revolution

5 December 2018

Press releases

  • The UK ranks 2nd in a global league of countries using technologies to limit climate change

  • UK phase out of coal has been faster than any other country in the world, cutting the carbon emissions from its power system by more than twice as much as some other countries

  • However, the UK has no large-scale carbon capture facilities, which are critical to climate targets being achieved

The UK is second only to Denmark when it comes to implementing measures to mitigate climate change, according to a new global energy revolution league table.

In the report Energy Revolution: A Global Outlook, researchers from Imperial College London have assessed 25 countries, covering 80% of the world’s population.

Launched today at the UN climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, the report looks at each country’s performance across five metrics, including:

  • Clean power
  • Fossil fuels
  • Uptake and sales of electric vehicles
  • Capacity for carbon storage
  • Energy efficiency of households, buildings and transport.

The UK’s carbon price – its charge on greenhouse gas emissions which is stronger than elsewhere in Europe – has led to rapid deployment of renewables and the fastest phase out of coal power, making for world-leading progress in reducing the carbon emissions from power generation.

Whilst most countries have reduced the amount of carbon dioxide produced per kWh of electricity by 100g/ kWh over the last decade, the figure in the UK is more than double that at 260g/kWh.

Uptake of electric vehicles is also among the highest in the UK, which is home to the world’s 5th largest electric vehicle fleet.

However, progress in the UK is being hampered by the fact it lags behind on the provision of large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities, needed to limit the harmful greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere.

The research was conducted by Imperial College London and E4tech, facilitated by Imperial Consultants and commissioned by Drax Group.

Figure 1: Ranking of country progress in the energy revolution

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

“Our global economy is changing and the transition to zero carbon, lower cost energy is vital if countries are to be able to compete.

“At Drax, we’ve converted two thirds of our power station to use biomass instead of coal, transforming the business to become Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project and helping to make the phase out of coal in the UK the fastest in the world. But we want to do more.

“We’re piloting the first Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe – which could make Drax the world’s first carbon negative power station. Removal of carbon from the atmosphere is vital if we are to meet our climate targets.”

Commenting on his team’s findings, Imperial’s Dr Iain Staffell, said:

“We researched how the world is progressing on uptake of the five key technologies and measures needed to limit climate change to 2 degrees Celsius. This reveals Denmark, UK and Canada to be world leading.

“Progress across these five areas is very mixed.  Great strides are being made in cleaning up global electricity generation, and renewable capacity is increasing rapidly all around the world.  Electric vehicles are also rapidly taking off, but still have only reached a 5% share of new cars sold in two countries.  Improving the efficiency of our homes and industries needs urgent effort.  Significant investment in Carbon Capture and Storage will also be needed if it is to contribute to limiting climate change, as only 6 countries are currently demonstrating this technology at scale.”

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry, said:

“This confirms the UK’s position as a world leader in decarbonising the economy – phasing out coal as we move to a greener, cleaner energy system with record levels of energy from renewables. We have also led the way in transitioning to low emission vehicles and today one in five electric vehicles sold in Europe is manufactured here in the UK.

“But we’re determined to do more to reduce our emissions. That’s why last week we published plans for the UK’s first carbon capture, usage and storage project to be operational in the mid-2020s with the ambition of potentially rolling out this cutting-edge technology at scale in 2030s.”

Commenting on the findings, Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Policy and Translation from Imperial’s Grantham Institute, said:

“Ahead of COP24, this research provides a useful barometer of the progress countries are making in their uptake of technologies such as renewable power, Carbon Capture and Storage, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency measures.

“The findings also highlight the benefit of supportive government policies in limiting climate change to 2 degrees Celsius.” 

Calls for Carbon Capture and Storage

The UK lags behind on roll-out of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies. Only Norway, Canada, Australia, USA, Brazil and China currently have facilities to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale, and worldwide only 2.5 kg of CO2 per person per year is captured, versus an average annual carbon footprint per person of 5 tonnes of CO2.

Storage resources are not the barrier to deployment. The International Energy Agency estimates that 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide must be stored underground by 2060 to limit temperature rise to 2°C for least cost. USA alone has estimated storage capacity for over 100 trillion tonnes of carbon, and the UK has capacity for 70 billion tonnes.

Instead the barriers are political. USA benefits from tax credits that have been in place since 2008 for geological storage of carbon and China’s last two Five Year Plans have included specific goals to develop CCS. With most estimates outlining that significant CCS deployment is needed to limit the impact of climate change, the UK needs large scale deployment of the technology to remain a world leader in environmental progress.

Wider report findings

  • The UK and Denmark lead global efforts to move away from coal for power generation. But many Asian countries including Indonesia, India and Japan are increasing their reliance on fossil fuels. The countries with the cleanest power systems – Norway, France and New Zealand rely heavily on hydro or nuclear power.
  • The UK is home to the world’s 5th largest electric vehicle fleet, and 1 in every 40 new cars sold in the UK is electric. But Norway leads by far in terms of uptake of electric vehicles with half of all its cars now electric. Norway also leads in installation of car charging points with one charger for every 500 people, in the UK there is one charger for every 5,000 people.
  • Europe remains the global leader in energy efficient housing. Residential homes in Portugal, Germany, Netherlands and the UK are among the most energy efficient. By comparison, rising incomes mean China and South Africa are increasing their energy intensity.
  • The study shows that rising incomes across the BRIC economies are displacing public transport as populations with rising disposable incomes move towards private vehicles. As a result, China, India and Indonesia have increased their energy consumption per person in transport by over 50% over the last decade.

Figure 2: Current large-scale carbon capture capacity (in kg/CO2 per person per year)

ENDS

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Editor’s Notes

  • Energy Revolution: A Global Outlook was commissioned by Drax Group and conducted independently by academics from Imperial College London, and consultants from E4tech, facilitated through the College’s consultancy company – Imperial Consultants.
  • View and download the report: https://www.drax.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/12/Energy-Revolution-Global-Outlook-Report-Final-Dec-2018-COP24.pdf
  • The measures used to assess the state of transition in the global energy system to achieve climate targets are:
    • Clean power: low carbon electricity generation, including renewables, biomass and nuclear
    • Phase-out of fossil fuels
    • Electrification of passenger vehicles
    • Carbon Capture and Storage
    • Improved efficiency across the economy
  • Country selection was based on including all G7 and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. The remaining countries were selected based on their membership to the IEA/OECD and/or their geographical location. Some countries could not be included due to limited data availability.
  • The results presented are based on data collected from other sources, as opposed to internal modelling.

About Drax

Drax Group plc plays a vital role in helping change the way energy is generated, supplied and used. Its 2,300-strong staff operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production.

The Group includes:

Drax Power Ltd, which operates the largest power station in the UK, based at Selby, North Yorkshire and supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs. The energy firm converted from burning coal to become a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator. Drax is the biggest renewable generator in the UK and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.

Haven Power, based in Ipswich, supplies electricity to large Industrial and Commercial sector businesses.

Opus Energy, based in Oxford, Northampton and Cardiff, provides electricity and gas to small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

Drax Biomass, is based in the US and manufactures compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests, supplying fuel 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

Imperial Consultants provide access to over 4,000 research-active expert academics and Imperial College London’s state of the art facilities to deliver innovative solutions to meet the business needs of industry, government and the third sector. Founded in 1990, Imperial Consultants is the wholly owned consultancy company of Imperial College London.

E4tech is a strategic energy consultancy. Founded in 1997 the firm provides technically informed insight on the energy transition and its implications on companies, governments and investors.