Archives: Press Release

Companies meet to discuss negative emissions ambitions

10 January 2020

Press releases
Drax CCUS incubation area

In August 2019 Velocys’ subsidiary Altalto Immingham Limited, a collaboration with British Airways and Shell, submitted plans for Europe’s first commercial waste-to-jet-fuel plant near Immingham on the South Bank of the Humber. The company has since voiced its support for the Zero Carbon Humber campaign, which is seeking to develop a large-scale carbon dioxide transport and storage network in the Humber that would significantly reduce emissions and create new job opportunities for the region.

Dr Neville Hargreaves, VP Waste to Fuels, Velocys, said:

“Subject to planning consent and financing, our Altalto Immingham project could be producing sustainable aviation fuel as soon as 2024. Velocys has a robust technological solution for this challenging sector which addresses one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and can help the UK meet its net zero target.”

“Furthermore, we’ll also produce a capture-ready stream of carbon dioxide, and thus a transport and storage network in the Humber would allow us to make negative emission fuels, delivering a further environmental benefit.”

Steve Drayton (Director of Innovation, Drax),  Dr Neville Hargreaves (VP Waste to Fuels, Velocys), Brian Greensmith (Drax), Richard Gwilliam (Drax), Martin Hopkins (Velocys)

Steve Drayton (Director of Innovation, Drax),  Dr Neville Hargreaves (VP Waste to Fuels, Velocys), Brian Greensmith (Drax), Richard Gwilliam (Drax), Martin Hopkins (Velocys)

Steve Drayton, Director of Innovation at Drax said:

“There are some interesting synergies between our ambitions at Drax to become the world’s first carbon negative company and Velocys’ plans to produce carbon negative fuels in the Humber.

“Having innovative businesses like Velocys in the Humber region makes a zero carbon industrial cluster here an exciting possibility, which will result in new jobs and clean growth delivering for the environment as well as the economy.”

The Zero Carbon Humber campaign aims to create the UK’s first net zero industrial cluster in the region which could make a bigger contribution to UK’s climate goals than any other industrial cluster – capturing 15% of the UK’s current annual CO2 emissions.

By using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) Drax will be able to remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces, creating a negative carbon footprint for the company.

CCUS incubation area, Drax Power Station, July 2019

CCUS incubation area, Drax Power Station; click image to view/download.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media & PR
[email protected]
07712 670 888

Selina Williams
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07912230393

Notes to editors:

Drax was the first company in the world to announce an ambition to become carbon negative by 2030 when CEO Will Gardiner spoke at COP 25 in Madrid in December.

Sustainable biomass is an important part of the UK’s long-term energy mix. Combining this renewable fuel with carbon capture and storage technology on Drax’s biomass generating units at its power station in North Yorkshire, England, means the Group’s operations could capture 16 million tonnes of CO2 a year or more – a significant proportion of the UK’s target.

Drax announced it had captured the first carbon dioxide from its pioneering BECCS pilot project earlier this year.

The UK Committee on Climate Change’s ‘Net Zero’ report states that BECCS could generate up to 173 TWh of electricity by 2050, capturing up to 51 million tonnes of CO2 – around half of the remaining carbon in the economy that the UK will need to capture to become ‘net zero’.

Drax launched the Zero Carbon Humber campaign in September with partners Equinor and National Grid Ventures, aimed at creating the world’s first zero carbon industrial cluster in the region.

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. 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.

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:  

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/us

Velocys

Velocys is sustainable fuels technology company. Velocys designed, developed and now licences proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology for the generation of clean, low carbon, synthetic drop-in aviation and transport fuel from municipal solid waste and waste woody biomass. Velocys is currently developing projects in Natchez, Mississippi, USA (incorporating Carbon Capture Use and Storage) and Immingham, UK to produce fuels that significantly reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and key exhaust pollutants for aviation and road transport. Originally a spin-out from Oxford University, in 2008 the company acquired a US company based on complementary technology developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Velocys is headquartered in Oxford in the United Kingdom.

www.velocys.com

Drax Power Station’s 2020 apprentice scheme opens to applicants

9 January 2020

Press releases
Female engineer at Drax Power Station
  • An award-winning Drax apprentice has encouraged budding engineers to follow in his footsteps and start their careers at the UK’s biggest renewable power station in 2020.

Kai Lewis, who was named Drax Power Station’s Uniper Engineering Academy Apprentice of the Year in October, has urged would-be applicants not to miss out on the chance to start a career with Drax – the world’s first company to announce an ambition to become carbon negative – and submit their applications before the end of January.

Kai, who is in the second year of his apprenticeship, said:

“There’s so much technical ability at Drax to learn from, it’s a fantastic start for all of us so early in our careers and this year’s intake of apprentices will be no different. There’s so much going on, it’s a real chance to play a part in an energy sector, which is changing really quickly.

“It’s been an amazing start to my career. I’ve still got lots to learn but it’s great experience.”

Photo of Kai Lewis (centre) receiving the Uniper Engineering Academy Apprentice of the Year Award alongside Mike Maudsley (left), Drax’s UK Portfolio Generation Director and BBC Look North’s Harry Gration (right).

Photo of Kai Lewis (centre) receiving the Uniper Engineering Academy Apprentice of the Year Award alongside Mike Maudsley (left), Drax’s UK Portfolio Generation Director and BBC Look North’s Harry Gration (right).

Andy Koss, CEO Generation, said:

“There’s no better way to start a career in engineering than here at Drax. Groundbreaking technologies are being piloted by our world class engineers, which could enable Drax to be the first company globally to be carbon negative, making a major contribution towards addressing the climate crisis.

“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. Apprentices are not only vital to the long-term future of our business – they also possess the future talent needed to ensure the UK meets its net zero carbon by 2050 targets.”

Applications for Control and Instrumentation Engineering, and Electrical Engineering apprentices close on Friday January 31 with successful applicants taking up their posts in August 2020.

Drax is keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds and to encourage diversity.

To apply or find out more about the apprenticeships available, visit the Drax website.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07849090368 

Lily Pettifar
Drax Group Media Intern
[email protected]  
07719 559556

Notes to editors:

  • Drax became the first business in the world to announce an ambition to become carbon negative when Group CEO Will Gardiner spoke at COP25 in December. It plans to achieve this by using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology, on its biomass generating units at Drax Power Station.
  • Becoming carbon negative would mean it would be removing more carbon dioxide than it emits across the whole of the Group’s operations, whilst producing the flexible, renewable electricity millions of homes and businesses rely on.

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. 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.

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:  

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/us

Drax Biomass appoints new leader

6 January 2020

Press releases

Drax Biomass produces sustainable, compressed wood pellets used to generate flexible, renewable electricity in Drax Power Station in England, delivering carbon savings of more than 80% compared to when it used coal.

Drax Biomass uses the port in Baton Rouge/Port Allen and three compressed wood pellet plants: Morehouse BioEnergy in Bastrop, LA; LaSalle BioEnergy in Urania, LA; and Amite BioEnergy in Gloster, MS.

The company recently announced plans to increase the amount of biomass it supplies to its own power station in the UK from 1.2 million to 5 million tonnes per year.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner [click to view/download]

Will Gardiner, Chief Executive of Drax Group, said:

“I am pleased to welcome Matt to Drax Group. Our purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and the sustainably sourced wood pellets which Drax Biomass makes are crucial to that.

“Using wood pellets as a source of electricity is great for forests because long-term markets for the low-value wood fibre we use encourages replanting and better forest management. It also supports rural communities in Louisiana and Mississippi.”

Matt White said:

“This is an exciting time to join Drax Biomass as the business seeks to grow its wood pellet output to 5 million tonnes per year while maintaining a focus on safety and operational excellence. Drax has an impressive commitment to support the communities in which it operates by promoting sustainable forestry and investing in local development, so I am looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Matt White

Matt White. Click to view/download.

Matt joins Drax from Rockwater Energy (now Select Energy Services), a chemicals and logistics provider to the oil industry where he was Director, Manufacturing & Engineering.

Most of Matt’s career has been in manufacturing management helping organizations, grow, adapt to change and increase safety and efficiency by developing high-performing teams. A mechanical engineer by background, Matt has worked in a number of sectors including air products and chemicals, and with Solvay’s guar/oxide manufacturing.

Reporting to Matt will be:

  • Todd Tolkinen – VP Commercial Operations responsible for business development, environment, safety and legal and compliance
  • Jim Stemple – Senior Director Procurement
  • Randy Webster – Director of Engineering
  • Richard Lamb – VP Operations responsible for our plants and logistics

Key Facts

  • Drax Biomass is a subsidiary of the UK energy Drax Group, plc whose purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future.
  • Drax Biomass employs about 190 people in Louisiana and approximately 65 in Mississippi.
  • Drax Biomass has implemented a sustainable approach to doing business. This commitment to sustainability guides every aspect of the company’s operations, from wood sourcing to pellet production to shipment of finished products.

ENDS

Main photo caption: Drax’s LaSalle BioEnergy compressed wood pellet plant in Louisiana. View/download.

Media Contact:

Annmarie Sartor
Drax Biomass Communications Officer
[email protected]

About Drax Biomass

Drax Biomass Inc. is a manufacturer of compressed wood pellets produced from sustainably managed working forests. Headquartered in Monroe, LA, with operations across the Southeastern U.S., the company is committed to supporting the communities in which we operate by promoting sustainable forestry and investing in local economic development.

New tartan to commemorate workers who died building unique Scottish power station

23 December 2019

Press releases
Ian MacLean (CR), Ian Kinnaird (C), and Sarah Cameron (R) and visitor staff at Cruachan visitor centre.

The design, based on the Clan MacColl tartan sett, uses 15 strands of a special dark blue thread to represent those who tragically lost their lives building what was the world’s first reversible pumped storage hydro system, located in the Western Highlands of Scotland.

Ian Kinnaird, Head of Hydro at Drax, said:

“Building this unique power station was an astonishing feat of engineering, completed in challenging conditions. The work was physically demanding and at times, incredibly dangerous. Sadly, during the course of the construction, 15 men lost their lives.

“When we were commissioning this new tartan, we decided it was a fitting tribute to incorporate 15 dark blue threads in memory of those who tragically died – many of whom were very young.”

Between 1959 and 1965, a 4,000-strong workforce built the power station on the shore of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute – 1,300 of them were known as ‘Tunnel Tigers’ – the men at the forefront of the work. They drilled, blasted and cleared the rocks from the inside of the mountain.

Barbara McCabe, aged 81.

Barbara McCabe, aged 81. Click to view/download.

One of those who died was 23-year-old Edward Gallagher, from Donegal – the fiancé of Barbara McCabe, now 81, who lives in Inverness-shire.

Mrs McCabe explained how she got engaged to Edward on December 21, 1961 and they were planning to get married the following September.

However, tragedy struck just before Easter 1962, when loose rock in the ceiling of a tunnel  fell down – the force of which was so strong, it pulled Edward out of his protective footwear.

“He was such a lovely, lovely man,” Mrs McCabe, recalled. “Eddie’s father sent me a telegram and what it said was: ‘Is Eddie alright?’ I didn’t know what it meant, I was busy getting ready for Eddie coming down so we could spend Easter together.

“He shouldn’t have been at work, but he’d swapped shifts with someone else who wanted to go home early for Easter – that was what Eddie was like. He was a great young man, always doing things like that to help people.”

Edward Gallagher with Barbara at Queen’s Park in Glasgow, 1961

Edward Gallagher with Barbara at Queen’s Park in Glasgow, 1961. Click to view/download.

Mrs McCabe explained that Mr Gallagher’s father travelled across from Ireland and they went together to the cottage hospital at Oban where Edward was being treated.

“When I saw Eddie, there wasn’t a mark on his face – but we were told his injuries were so severe there was no hope of survival. He passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday – the 23rd of April 1962.”

Mrs McCabe has always stayed in touch with Mr Gallagher’s family in Donegal and has visited his grave at a chapel in the village of Termon, near Letterkenny.

Of the tartan Drax has commissioned, she said:

“I think it’s a lovely way to make sure Eddie and the others who died are always remembered. I’ve told his family about it and I’m going to be sending them one of the new tartan scarves this Christmas.”  

Edward Gallagher (L), February 1962.

Edward Gallagher (L), February 1962. Click to view/download.

Hollowing out the Ben Cruachan mountain was done by hand-drilling two to three-metre-deep holes into the granite rockface. Gelignite was packed into the drilled holes and detonated – blasted rocks were then removed by bulldozers, trucks and shovels, before drilling began on a fresh section of exposed granite. Eventually some 220,000 cubic metres of rubble was removed.

Ian MacLean, from Oban, was a 20-year-old joiner when he started working at Cruachan in 1962. He said:

“I worked as a joiner on the roof of what is the machine hall now. The noise from the blasting was incredible – you didn’t just hear it, you felt it too.

“There was a lot of dust, but what bothered us the most was the smell – it was horrible. There were fumes from the explosives as well as the dump truck’s diesel engines that were running all the time – and we didn’t have masks to wear. Some days the air was so thick you could only see a few yards in front of where you were standing.”

Ian MacLean looking at the machine hall inside Cruachan.

Ian MacLean looking at the machine hall inside Cruachan. Click to view/download.

In total, 20km of tunnels and chambers were excavated, including the kilometre-long entrance tunnel and the 91-metre-long, 36-metre-high machine hall.

The 77-year-old says that despite the conditions he worked in, it was an interesting job and he earned good money:

“When I finished as an apprentice joiner I was earning £9 a week – when I started working at Cruachan I was on treble that. The conditions we were working in were tough – but I met some great people and we were young. It’s just what we did.”

Ian Kinnard (L) and Ian MacLean (R) inside Cruachan.

Ian Kinnard (L) and Ian MacLean (R) inside Cruachan. Click to view/download.

Polish and Irish labourers worked alongside Scots, as well as displaced Europeans, prisoners of the second world war and even workers from as far away as Asia.

The 15 men who died are remembered at Cruachan in a mural on the wall of the turbine hall at the heart of the power station and now visitors to the award-winning ‘Hollow Mountain’ visitor centre will see the new tartan waistcoats worn by guides.

Sarah Cameron, Drax’s Manager of the Hollow Mountain visitor centre at Cruachan, added:

“Our visitor centre guides will proudly wear the tartan on their waistcoats and continue to tell the stories about how this unique power station was built. It’s important that we remember the 15 men who died and the many others who were injured building this unique power station.”

The new tartan, made by Kinloch Anderson in Edinburgh, based on the Clan MacColl Sett, which was created in respect of Sir Edward MacColl, the brainchild and pioneer of Cruachan Power Station, has also been used to make some special scarves, available to buy from the visitor centre shop.

The Hollow Mountain visitor centre’s interactive exhibitions and displays help bring the history of the power station to life and explain how electricity is generated. There is also a café, gift shop and picnic area.

The visitor centre is closed now for Christmas and the New Year – reopening in February. To find out more or to book a tour go to the website.

Main photo caption:

ENDS

Media contacts:

Aidan Kerr
Drax Group Media Manager
[email protected]
07849090368 

Ali Lewis
Drax Group Head of Media and PR
[email protected]
07712670888

Editor’s Notes

  • Read more about the men who built Cruachan on the Drax website.
  • Drax acquired Cruachan power station at the end of 2018, when it bought a portfolio of flexible, renewable and low-carbon power stations located across Scotland and England.
  • Since then, the visitor centre has been renovated and Drax has also introduced free school tours during term time as part of the company’s efforts to boost STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills.
  • 50,000 people visit Cruachan Power Station each year and take guided tours inside the subterranean world of the power station, where they can see the machine hall and learn about its history and the feat of engineering required to build it. 
  • Cruachan is one of four pumped hydro storage stations in the UK and has a capacity of 440 MW – enough to power more than 90,000 homes during peak demand.
  • Built on the shores of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute, it was the first reversible pumped storage hydro system on this scale to be built in the world.
  • The turbine hall is located 1 km within the hollowed-out mountain of Ben Cruachan and houses four generators, supplying a range of vital balancing and ancillary services to the grid, such as frequency control, spinning and operating reserves, helping to maintain secure power supplies.
  • Drax’s Scottish operations include hydro facilities in Galloway and Lanark and a biomass-from-waste plant at Daldowie, near Glasgow, along with Cruachan, all of which were acquired at the end of last year.

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. 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.

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:  

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/us

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I offers green energy to pubs

20 December 2019

Press releases
Person holding Budweiser bottle; Photo by Victor Freitas

  • The programme supports the brewer’s ambitious Sustainability Goals while helping customers save on their monthly energy bills

  • The programme, in partnership with Opus Energy, is currently in a pilot phase and will roll out nationwide in Spring 2020

The launch follows customer research which revealed that energy bills score high on the list of priorities for pubs and bars looking to reduce costs.[1] As such, Budweiser Brewing Group is evolving its offering — directly addressing the needs and demands of pub and bar operators up and down the country, while helping to reduce their environmental impact.

The exclusive renewable electricity tariff is offered by Opus Energy, part of Drax Group, and is guaranteed to be cheaper than any other deal found through price comparison or third-party alternatives, with a saving of up to 30% from existing standard renewal prices from other suppliers.

Pubs and bars which take advantage of the exclusive deal will join over 355,000 business premises in the UK currently powered by renewable electricity from Opus Energy. The programme is currently in pilot phase with 100 pubs and will roll out in Spring 2020, helping more businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and contribute to tackling the climate crisis.

Paula Lindenberg, President at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I says,

“For us, sustainability isn’t just about looking at our own operations — it’s also about looking outward and supporting our customers. We know that our customers are eager to save on energy costs, and that consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever, so this really is a sweet spot where we can make a difference.”

Marc Montgomery, Director of SME Direct, Opus Energy says,

“We’re thrilled to team up with Budweiser Brewing Group to supply renewable electricity to more pubs and bars across the UK. Enabling a zero carbon, lower cost energy future for businesses is our purpose, and this partnership will help more pubs to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute towards the UK’s net zero carbon targets.”

This deal is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives by Budweiser Brewing Group. Last year, it signed the UK’s biggest unsubsidised solar power deal with Lightsource BP to brew Budweiser with 100% renewable electricity for its UK operations by the end of 2020.

With completion of the new UK solar farm expected by mid-2020, all UK-brewed Budweiser will begin to feature a new symbol to encourage consumers to choose a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity. Similarly, Budweiser Brewing Group will offer window decals for pubs that sign up to the Opus Energy deal.

The investment in UK solar reinforces the brewer’s commitment to its 2025 Sustainability Goals, which includes the target of a 25% reduction to carbon emissions across its value chain against a 2017 baseline – the equivalent of taking more than 1.5 million cars off the road each year.

Drax Group is the first business in the world to announce an ambition to become carbon negative by 2030 – making a major contribution towards global efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), Drax will remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces, creating a negative carbon footprint for the company.

To find out more about switching to a Budweiser Renewable Energy Tariff, contact [email protected].

ENDS

Photo caption: Photo by Victor Freitas

For more information, please contact:

3 Monkeys Zeno on behalf of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I:

[email protected]

Notes to Editors:

About Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is the trading name of AB InBev UK Limited, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ABI) and South Africa (JSE: ANB) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I remains a proud part of AB InBev globally. In the UK, Budweiser Brewing Group employs 1,000 people in our three breweries in Magor, South Wales, Samlesbury, Lancashire and Enfield, North London and in our local headquarters in Central London.

We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to offer the UK’s leading premium beer and cider brands, including global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Bud Light®, Michelob Ultra®, Beck’s®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bass® and Boddingtons®.

We are here to champion Britain’s iconic beer culture, from barley farmers to pubs and retail; we are a founding member of the Portman Group, member of the British Beer and Pub Association and supporter of the Drinkaware Trust. We are also members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Renewable and Sustainability Energy and the All-Party Parliamentary Corporate Responsibility Group. Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Learn more at www.budweiserbrewinggroup.co.uk or on Twitter through @BudBrewingUKI

For more information about Anheuser-Busch InBev, please visit www.AB InBev.com.

About Opus Energy

Opus Energy is the UK’s fifth-biggest business energy supplier, supplying electricity and gas to more than 355,000 business premises across the UK. It employs over 900 people between Northampton, Oxford and Cardiff.

Generating 100% of its electricity from renewable sources last year and purchasing power from over 2,100 renewable generators in the UK, Opus Energy is part of Drax Group and is committed to delivering a low-cost, zero-carbon energy future.

For more detailed information please visit https://www.opusenergy.com/

[1] BBPA, ALMR 2019

Drax employees raise £5K and give 262 kilos of goods to local food banks at Christmas

Press releases
Selby Food Bank

Following a successful year, during which two major turbine outages were completed at the power station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, the turbine outage team at Drax continued its annual tradition of raising money for charity. This year the total reached £5,000, the largest amount ever raised.

The money raised was split between the two food banks and ‘Baby Dinosaurs’, a local charity selling pre-loved toys at an affordable price. Drax members of the union Unite, also donated a cheque of £200 to each food bank in addition to the £5,000 raised by Drax.

Employees across the power station also contributed to the Christmas cheer through a food bank appeal. Throughout December, employees donated food, toiletries and other treats to help make sure local people who may be struggling with food poverty can enjoy Christmas.

In total 262 kilos were donated, consisting of tins, packets and jars of goods.

Vicky Bullivant, Drax’s head of sustainable business, said:

“Christmas is a time for giving and sharing. At Drax we recognise the vital work of the local food banks and employees across the business have contributed to the total raised – with special thanks to the turbine outage team for their outstanding fundraising efforts this year.

“The smallest donation can make a big difference to someone who is struggling financially – especially at this time of year. We hope that everyone in our communities has a happy Christmas.”

The donations were delivered to two local food banks: Selby and District Foodbank and Mission Trinity at Goole Methodist Church.

Mark Barnett from Selby and District Foodbank said:

“Receiving donations like this from Drax make a huge difference to the number of people we can help at Christmas – a time which can be very difficult for people facing financial difficulties. Food poverty is a growing issue in the UK with one in five of the population living below the poverty line.”

Caroline Sample from Mission Trinity at Goole Methodist Church said:

“We want to say a big thank you to everyone at Drax who has helped raise this money or donated food and other items this Christmas – it will mean a lot to the people who need our help at this time of year.” 

The Selby and District Foodbank is one of 1,200 foodbanks supported by the Trussell Trust’s Foodbank Network. Between April 2018 and March 2019, Trussell Trust food banks provided a record 1.6 million food supplies to people in crisis.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Lily Pettifar
Drax Group Media Intern
[email protected]
07719 559 556

About Drax

Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. 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.

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:  

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/us

 

Will Gardiner comments on Scotland progress report from the Committee on Climate Change

17 December 2019

Press releases
Electricity cables and pylon snaking around a mountain near Cruachan Power Station in the Highlands

“Drax recognises the need for ambitious action to address the climate crisis. We’re investing in our flexible, renewable, and low-carbon power stations in Scotland, which play a critical role in supporting more renewables whilst maintaining secure power supplies. It is vital that Scotland’s workforce has the skills needed to deliver these ambitious climate targets, which is why we have introduced a new apprenticeship scheme across Drax’s Scottish sites. Drax is ready to work with both the Scottish and UK Governments to secure a zero carbon, lower cost energy future.“

Oban apprentices impress at Cruachan Power Station

16 December 2019

Press releases
Apprentices at Drax Group

Two apprentices from Oban are kick starting their careers with Drax after the company extended its apprenticeship scheme to budding engineers across Scotland.

Drax is continuing its commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills by offering apprenticeships at its Cruachan pumped storage hydro power station, in Argyll and Bute, Galloway hydro power scheme and the Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow.

Iain Macpherson, aged 17, from Oban, has joined Drax’s Cruachan power station as a technical apprentice.

He said: “I have always been interested in engineering. Whilst I was at school I was fortunate enough to do work experience here at Cruachan Power Station. Since then, I knew engineering was for me. Drax is a brilliant company to work at, so becoming an apprentice was an opportunity not to be missed.”

Joshua Smith, aged 24, also from Oban, said of his new apprenticeship at Cruachan Power Station:

“An apprenticeship is a great way to learn, you get the chance to learn new, hands on skills. At college, you only learn the theoretical side, but doing this apprenticeship I’m learning so much more. Drax has great values and really cares about all of their employees.”

Both Iain and Joshua will be working at Cruachan once they have completed formal training at East Kilbride Group Training Association (EKGTA).

Drax’s apprenticeship scheme has been running for over 15 years at its North Yorkshire power station, and since it acquired a wider portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable generating assets, some of which are in Scotland, it has sought to extend the scheme to other locations.

Andy Koss, CEO Generation said:

“To be able to open up new opportunities for apprentices in Scotland is a really proud moment for us. It demonstrates our commitment to education and skills, as well as our dedication to our workforce and the future of these new Drax sites.

“The energy sector is experiencing unprecedented change with Drax right at the forefront of it. We’re going to continue to need talented, hard-working young people to help us deliver the changes needed to meet the UK’s net zero carbon ambitions. As we’ve seen with our apprentices elsewhere, supporting ambitious young people to develop their skills is critical to the ongoing success of our business.”

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.

Drax offers apprenticeships in business support areas too, such as Finance and Business Administration, as well as engineering. All opportunities are advertised on its website.

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

  • Danielle Nicholson (19) who will be working at Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow
  • Gregor Fraser (19) who will be working at Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow
  • Iain MacPherson (17) who will be working at Cruachan pumped hydro power station, Argyll and Bute
  • Joshua Smith (24) who will be working at Cruachan pumped hydro power station, in Argyll and Bute
  • Ryan Connelly (19) who will be working at Galloway hydro power scheme.

ENDS

Media contacts

Lily Pettifar
Drax Group Media Intern
E: [email protected]
T: 07719559556

Selina Williams
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07912 230 393

Editor’s Notes

  • Drax has a longstanding commitment to STEM learning, with around 55,000 visits to Cruachan Power Station each year. Drax offers free educational tours, these range from primary school pupils to degree level students. All visits can be tailored to the level of the visiting school, college or university.
  • It is also investing to help boost educational skills by working closely with local schools and colleges to encourage STEM learning.
  • Drax’s power station in North Yorkshire recently announced it was hiring a record-number of new apprentices with thirteen joining the company.
  • To find out more about working at Drax, go to https://www.drax.com/us/careers/

About Drax

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

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:

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/us

Drax boosts STEM skills with new apprentices across Scotland

Press releases
Drax apprentices in Scotland

Five apprentices are kick starting their careers with Drax after the company extended its apprenticeship scheme to budding engineers across Scotland.

Drax is continuing its commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills by offering apprenticeships at its Cruachan pumped storage hydro power station, in Argyll and Bute, Galloway hydro power scheme and the Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow.

Danielle Nicholson, aged 19 from East Kirkbride, has joined Drax’s Daldowie energy from waste plant as a technical apprentice. She said:

“I thought that finding engineering jobs in the area might be difficult, so it was great to hear about the opportunity at Daldowie. Renewable energy’s a really exciting industry to be in, especially now with all the focus on climate change.”

This year’s apprentices are aged between 17 and 24 are from Oban, East Kirkbride, Dunbartonshire and Dumfries. They will be working at these sites once they have completed formal training at East Kilbride Group Training Association (EKGTA).

Drax’s apprenticeship scheme has been running for over 15 years at its North Yorkshire power station, and since it acquired a wider portfolio of flexible, low carbon and renewable generating assets, some of which are in Scotland, it has sought to extend the scheme to other locations.

Andy Koss, CEO Generation said:

“To be able to open up new opportunities for apprentices in Scotland is a really proud moment for us. It demonstrates our commitment to education and skills, as well as our dedication to our workforce and the future of these new Drax sites.

“The energy sector is experiencing unprecedented change with Drax right at the forefront of it. We’re going to continue to need talented, hard-working young people to help us deliver the changes needed to meet the UK’s net zero carbon ambitions. As we’ve seen with our apprentices elsewhere, supporting ambitious young people to develop their skills is critical to the ongoing success of our business.”

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.

Students on the apprentice scheme are contributing to Drax’s goal of enabling a zero carbon, low cost energy future.

Drax offers apprenticeships in business support areas too, such as Finance and Business Administration, as well as engineering. All opportunities are advertised on its website.

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

  • Danielle Nicholson (19) who will be working at Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow
  • Gregor Fraser (19) who will be working at Daldowie energy from waste plant, near Glasgow
  • Iain MacPherson (17) who will be working at Cruachan pumped hydro power station, Argyll and Bute
  • Joshua Smith (24) who will be working at Cruachan pumped hydro power station, in Argyll and Bute
  • Ryan Connelly (19) who will be working at Galloway hydro power scheme.

ENDS

Media contacts:

Lily Pettifar
Drax Group Media Intern
E: [email protected]
T: 07719559556

Selina Williams
Drax Group Press Officer
E: [email protected]
T: 07912 230 393

Editor’s Notes

  • Drax has a longstanding commitment to STEM learning, with around 55,000 visits to Cruachan Power Station each year. Drax offers free educational tours, these range from primary school pupils to degree level students. All visits can be tailored to the level of the visiting school, college or university.
  • It is also investing to help boost educational skills by working closely with local schools and colleges to encourage STEM learning.
  • Drax’s power station in North Yorkshire recently announced it was hiring a record-number of new apprentices with thirteen joining the company.
  • To find out more about working at Drax, go to https://www.drax.com/us/careers/

About Drax

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

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:

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/us