We believe investing in our people goes hand-in-hand with enabling the green energy transformation and positive future growth.
Information about our business, partnerships and campaigns, as well as photos, graphics and multimedia assets for journalists, and educational materials for schools.
We believe investing in our people goes hand-in-hand with enabling the green energy transformation and positive future growth.
Information about our business, partnerships and campaigns, as well as photos, graphics and multimedia assets for journalists, and educational materials for schools.
We’re committed to enabling a zero carbon, lower cost energy future through engineering, technology and innovation.
We’re building for a sustainable future in how we source our biomass, generate energy, remove carbon dioxide and function as a business.
Read our carbon capture, sustainable bioenergy and power generation stories, as well as thinking from Drax’s leaders and business updates.
Drax Group’s ambition is to become a carbon negative business by 2030, through innovative greenhouse gas removal technology.
Given the need for new gas-fired power generation in the UK, Progress Power intends to enter the project in the Government’s next Capacity Market Auction which is scheduled to be held in December 2016.
Both Suffolk County Council and Mid Suffolk District Council, as the local planning authorities, have been notified.
This latest recorded carbon saving reinforces its position as Europe’s largest decarbonisation project and the UK’s largest generator of renewable electricity from a single site¹.
Drax has already converted two generating units and with a third in the pipeline Drax will reduce its annual carbon emissions by around 12 million tonnes a year. This is equivalent to taking 3.3 million cars off the UK’s roads or making the UK’s entire industrial and manufacturing sector zero carbon² – with sustainable biomass providing a carbon saving of approximately 86 per cent compared to coal-fired generation.
Dorothy Thompson, Chief Executive of Drax Group plc said:
“This latest milestone data underscores the low carbon credentials of sustainable biomass. In a relatively short period of time Drax has delivered major carbon savings, while continuing to provide reliable, secure and good value renewable power.
“This data also gives an indication of the scale of the contribution sustainable biomass will make to meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets. Drax is already Europe’s largest decarbonisation project, and we believe that there is potential for significant additional carbon savings through the conversion of further units.”
ENDS
Drax is the UK’s largest power station typically meeting 7-8% of the UK’s power needs. It is Europe’s largest decarbonisation project and the UK’s largest renewable electricity generator.
Biomass is organic material obtained from living or recently living plant matter that can be burnt to produce energy. The materials that Drax uses include low grade wood, such as forest thinnings, tree tops and branches as well as sawmill residues, and to a lesser extent residual agricultural products, such as straw, sunflower seed husks and peanut husks, and purpose grown energy crops.
Drax sources the majority of its biomass from the South Eastern US, but also from Canada and to a lesser extent other EU member states, where forest areas are growing, not declining, owing to experienced and professional sustainable forest management. The main drivers of commercial forestry practices are industries such as the furniture and construction sectors which use the main part of the tree for lumber. Drax then uses the material leftover, such as the thinnings, tree tops, limbs and other low grade wood.
Further information on the types of biomass fibre Drax uses and which countries it comes from can be found in Drax’s Biomass Supply Report 2014, available here.
Andrew Brown
Director of Communications
+44 (0) 1757 612 165
Luther Pendragon
+44 (0) 20 7618 9137
These hidden costs, or whole system costs are increasing as intermittent renewables – those reliant on the sun and wind – increase. These intermittent renewables mean other forms of power generation need to kick in, and flex up and down to meet electricity demand. These costs are passed on to consumers via their energy bills.
Currently the Government is planning three auctions for new renewable energy contracts – Contracts for Difference (CfDs) – planned over the next four years, and all are focused on offshore wind. The new research shows significant differences in the true costs of renewables once these additional costs are recognised. Offshore wind could require a CfD of £127 per MWh, onshore wind £92-97 per MWh, solar £96 per MWh, and biomass £84 per MWh.
Once these new support levels are modelled over the planned energy auctions, the new energy mix that could win contracts is shown to save consumers £1.9 -£2.2 billion. This support is already paid for through energy bills and the new cost-efficient mix would lessen the impact.
Drax Group CEO, Dorothy Thompson said:
“This independent research shows it’s crucial we get the right mix of energy generation. The UK’s system faces growing challenges, from costs to reliability as traditional forms of generation are replaced with renewables.
“Intermittent renewables like wind and solar are vital as we continue to clean up energy generation, but they need to be backed up by a constant supply of electricity that can be flexed up and down to make sure the UK’s businesses and households always have power on demand.
“Opening up energy auctions to include other renewables could save consumers £2 billion and with more biomass in the mix energy security is also boosted. Using the latest technology we’ve upgraded half our power station to run on compressed wood pellets, which give an 80% plus carbon saving against coal. With the right support we stand ready to finish the job.”
NERA Economic Consulting Associate Director, Daniel Radov, added:
“NERA Economic Consulting is pleased to be able to continue its partnership with Imperial College in modelling the total costs of different power generation technologies, and in helping to inform the policy discussion around renewable energy and decarbonisation.
“To ensure that we achieve environmental targets as efficiently as possible, it is essential to have policies in place that provide the right incentives to minimise costs. We hope the combination of Imperial’s whole-system energy modelling with NERA’s ability to model the details of the CfD auctions will contribute to a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different policy approaches.”
ENDS
Paul Hodgson
+44 1757 612026
[email protected]
David Tomlinson
+44 20 7659 8752
Mobile: +44 7919 398079
[email protected]
Click here to view the NERA Economic Consulting report
Drax Group plc is an innovative energy company that owns and operates the UK’s largest power station in Selby, North Yorkshire, typically providing some 8% of the UK’s electricity. A vital strategic asset, the Group has transformed itself into a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator through its use of innovative technology and sustainably sourced wood pellets. The largest decarbonisation project in Europe is underway to provide the UK with cost effective, low carbon, and reliable renewable power.
The Group employs around 1,400 people and also includes:
Drax Biomass, based in the US focused on the self-supply of some of its sustainable biomass requirements.
Haven Power, the Group’s retail arm, providing business electricity contracts that are simple, flexible and designed to customers specific requirements.
Billington Bioenergy, is one of the leading distributors of wood pellets for sustainable heating in the UK.
The winner of the first prize in the competition will also receive a set of two limited edition Hornby biomass wagons presented by Andy Koss, Chief Executive of Drax Power, and will be taken on a VIP tour of the biomass unloading facilities. Three runner up winners will each receive the limited edition Hornby biomass wagon set.
Drax processes and compresses low grade wood into small high-density pellets, turning humans’ oldest renewable energy source into a fuel that is modern and highly efficient. The majority of the compressed pellets are imported from the huge working forests of North America which are expanding year on year. Drax’s new energy source is made from the residues and thinnings left from industries that have no use for them.
Our specially designed trains move millions of small pellets from four UK ports – Hull, Immingham, Liverpool and Tyne – to our power station with a minimal cost and environmental impact. Hornby has released two special edition model wagons in ‘OO’ gage. They have been commissioned by Drax and only 2,000 have been produced. The wagons are currently available for pre-order here, and 10% of all profits received will be donated to the Railway Benefit Fund.
To enter the competition, email [email protected] with your name, age, phone number, postal address, and answer to this question:
Which four UK ports do Drax biomass trains pick up compressed wood pellets from before travelling to Drax Power station to generate 4% of the UK’s electricity?
The competition closing date is Friday, 12th February and the winners will be chosen the following week.
Please see below for competition terms and conditions before entering.
The largest ever rail freight wagons in the UK, our biomass wagons, were designed by Lloyd’s Register Rail and manufactured by WH Davis. The current fleet of more than 200 wagons have travelled huge distances across the UK to help Drax move away from coal and become a predominantly biomass electricity generator, making it Europe’s largest decarbonisation project. The wagons are 30 per cent larger than any other rail freight wagon currently used in the UK, and are able to carry a biomass load weighing 71.6 tonnes.
Jennifer Davies
Press Officer
+44 1757 612084
[email protected]
High resolution photos of the special edition Hornby wagons and the real biomass trains can be downloaded at: www.drax.com/uk/media
Films and animations explaining our transformation from coal to renewable biomass can be viewed on YouTube and downloaded via Vimeo.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3G6XjBeWTx09LQtUT2oq2Q
Hornby has released 2,000 special edition wagons. Two models are available: a hopper with a ‘swoosh’ paint design (Cat No. R6723) and another in the Powering Tomorrow scheme (R6724). To pre-order the wagons, please click here
Drax Group plc is an innovative energy company that owns and operates the UK’s largest power station in Selby, North Yorkshire, typically providing some 8% of the UK’s electricity. A vital strategic asset, the Group has transformed itself into a predominantly biomass-fuelled electricity generator through its use of innovative technology and sustainably sourced wood pellets. The largest decarbonisation project in Europe is underway to provide the UK with cost effective, low carbon, and reliable renewable power.
The Group employs around 1,400 people and also includes:
Drax Biomass, based in the US focused on the self-supply of some of its sustainable biomass requirements.
Haven Power, the Group’s retail arm, providing business electricity contracts that are simple, flexible and designed to customers specific requirements.
Billington Bioenergy, is one of the leading distributors of wood pellets for sustainable heating in the UK.
For more information visit www.drax.com/uk
The RBF supports current and former railway staff and their dependants when they need help through illness, injury, bereavement, or adversity. Nobody can predict the future, and offering that peace of mind within your industry is a charity that may be able to help you.
The charity’s grants and support amounted to almost £362,130 in 2013, and supported over 500 people.
The charity has been helping railway people for over 150 years, improving the quality of life of current and former railway people in the UK through the provision of customised support. Assistance is provided in many forms, on a short or long term basis and is specifically tailored to an individual’s situation.
For more information please visit https://www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/
Qualifying Entrants
Competition winners
Entry into the competition is deemed as acceptance of all terms and conditions
Details have been published in the East Anglian Daily Times (and will be published again on August 26th) and on the Progress Power and Planning Inspectorate websites. Eye Library also hold details of the amendments.
Both Mid-Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council are aware of the proposed amendments and the reasons for making them, and Progress Power has notified other relevant parties. The consultation process is being undertaken in accordance with the Planning Inspectorate’s guidelines.
The changes are restricted to the main power generation plant site at Eye Airfield and are regarded as non-material.
The amendments to the Development Consent Order (DCO) relate to the width of the power station’s exhaust flue stack (chimney) for the single turbine unit solution only and some minor amendments to the dimensions of some buildings within the main power generation plant site. The height of the key components on site (i.e. the gas turbine generator and the stack) will not change from what was originally consented. Progress Power has permission to build up to five stacks (30m high).
The need to make amendments to the DCO became apparent during the procurement process for the power station: in order to construct the one turbine solution, minor alterations would need to be made to some of the parameters and locations of various structures consented by the DCO. There is a need to widen the visible part of the stack for the single unit solution by 1.6 metres.
Progress Power has not yet concluded the exact number of turbines that will be constructed on the site, and the stack height(s) will remain 30 metres as per the July 2015 DCO.
The consultation on the proposed non material changes to the DCO runs from August 19th to September 25th. Responses to the consultation should be addressed to the Planning Inspectorate.
Hirwaun Power’s consented 299MW gas-fired generation project (on part of the Hirwaun Industrial Estate) did not secure a contract in the Government’s recent Capacity Market Auction for future power generation (held in December 2015) and therefore the project will not proceed during the course of this year (2016).
Given the need for new gas-fired power generation in the UK, Hirwaun Power intends to enter the project in the Government’s next Capacity Market Auction which is scheduled to be held in December 2016.
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, the local planning authority, has been notified.
The decision has been made because Watt Power (the parent company of Millbrook Power) was unable to secure contracts for its two consented 299MW gas-fired generation projects (in Suffolk and in south Wales) 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), Millbrook Power would look to submit a Development Consent Order application in 2017.
Both Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council, as the local planning authorities, have been notified.
His appointment will take effect on 16 November 2015. He will succeed Tony Quinlan, who resigned as a director of the Company on 31 May 2015. Michael Scott, who has been Interim Finance Director since Tony’s resignation, will continue in that role until Will takes up his appointment.
Will has been Chief Financial Officer of CSR plc, a global semiconductor business, since 2008. CSR was acquired by Qualcomm Inc. on 13 August 2015. He had previously been a Divisional Finance Director of BSKYB and Chief Financial Officer of Easynet Group plc. Will graduated from Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities, and spent the early part of his career in corporate finance with Citibank and JP Morgan.
Commenting on the appointment Phil Cox, Chairman of Drax, said:
“The Directors are delighted to welcome Will to the Board of Drax. He brings a wealth of experience and skills, and will be a strong addition to the Drax team. I also extend the directors’ thanks to Michael Scott who has done an excellent job as Interim Finance Director.”
ENDS
Andrew Brown
Director of Communications
+44 1757 612 165
+44 7721 513 777
[email protected]
Photo
A high resolution photo of Mr Gardiner is available via Dropbox and at: www.drax.com/uk/news/media-images
Drax Group plc is an innovative energy company that owns and operates the UK’s largest power station in Selby, North Yorkshire, typically providing some 8% of the UK’s electricity. A vital strategic asset, the Group is transforming itself into a major biomass fuelled electricity generator through its use of innovative technology and sustainably sourced biomass. The largest decarbonisation project in Europe is underway to provide the UK with cost effective, low carbon, and reliable renewable power.
The Group employs around 1400 people and also includes:
Drax Biomass, based in the US focused on the self-supply of some of its sustainable biomass requirements.
Haven Power, the Group’s retail arm, providing business electricity contracts that are simple, flexible and designed to customers specific requirements.
Billington Bioenergy, is one of the leading distributors of wood pellets for sustainable heating in the UK.
The two year project is being taken forward by the Capture Power partnership – made up of Drax, Alstom and BOC and is looking at the potential to capture up to 90% of carbon emissions from a new coal fired power station and safely store them beneath the North Sea. The project is due to conclude during the next 6-12 months.
Drax has also confirmed that while at that point it would cease to commit further investment, it will continue to make the site owned by Drax, along with the infrastructure at the Power Plant, available for the project to be built.
Drax Group Operations Director, and Capture Power Board Director, Pete Emery said:
“We remain fully committed to completing what we’ve signed up to – the completion of a study into the feasibility and development of world leading technology that could result in dramatic reductions in carbon emissions produced by power stations and heavy industry.
“We are confident the technology we have developed has real potential, but have reluctantly taken a decision not to invest any further in the development of this project. The decision is based purely on a drastically different financial and regulatory environment and we must put the interests of the business and our shareholders first.
“We will focus our resources on the areas which we can deliver best value, particularly working with Government to explore the potential for converting a fourth generating unit to run on sustainable biomass.
“Drax still believes this project has great potential and we have announced that the site at the Drax Power Plant, along with our existing infrastructure remain available for the project to be built.”
ENDS
Paul Hodgson
Head of Media Relations
+44 1757 612 026
+44 7525 590 271
[email protected]
Andrew Brown
Director of Communications
+44 1757 612 165
+44 7721 513 777
[email protected]
Drax Group plc is an innovative energy company that owns and operates the UK’s largest power station in Selby, North Yorkshire, typically providing some 8% of the UK’s electricity. A vital strategic asset, the Group is transforming itself into a major biomass fuelled electricity generator through its use of innovative technology and sustainably sourced biomass. The largest decarbonisation project in Europe is underway to provide the UK with cost effective, low carbon, and reliable renewable power.
The Group employs around 1400 people and also includes:
Drax Biomass, based in the US focused on the self-supply of some of its sustainable biomass requirements.
Haven Power, the Group’s retail arm, providing business electricity contracts that are simple, flexible and designed to customers specific requirements.
Billington Bioenergy, is one of the leading distributors of wood pellets for sustainable heating in the UK.
For more information visit www.drax.com/uk
