European Commission gives Drax green light to complete biomass upgrade

Drax Power Station’s third generating unit has been given European Commission (EC) approval to be fully powered by sustainable biomass.

Drax is now set to complete the upgrade of the third of its six units to run on wood pellets.

The third unit upgrade started in July 2015 and now half the power station will produce renewable electricity, saving 12 million tonnes of carbon each year.

Drax produces enough renewable electricity to power three million homes. In the first six months of this year, 20% of the country’s renewable power was provided by Drax.

The government has set out proposals to end coal-fired generation by 2025 as part of its plan to stimulate more clean energy generation. The EC’s decision gives approval to the government’s support for the upgrade of Drax power station from coal to biomass, and marks the culmination of a £650m investment.

Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO, commented: “Drax now leads the world in biomass technology - three million households are powered with renewable energy generated by Drax and we’re the largest carbon saving project in Europe.

“We have demonstrated how to reinvent a coal-fired power station, using an existing asset, so there are no hidden costs to the Grid and it is quick to achieve. This is a testament to the expertise and ingenuity of our engineering team and everyone at the power station.”

Mr Koss said that what has been achieved to date at Drax showed the power station could help switch from coal in an affordable way for bill payers sooner than the 2025 deadline.

He added: “The energy challenge facing the UK is how to replace the contribution currently made by coal. Biomass technology is proven, ready to go and ideally placed to help the country transform to a low carbon future with reliable, secure and affordable renewable power.

“With the right support from the government, we could upgrade the remainder of the power station to run solely on biomass and provide up to eight per cent of the UK’s total electricity from sustainable sources.”

The EC approval follows the recent announcement by Drax that it is diversifying its power generating capability.

Drax is developing plans to build four rapid response open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) power stations, which could be running at capacity within ten minutes. The proposed rapid response gas projects would further assist in getting coal off the system and so help the Government achieve carbon saving targets.

Mr Koss concluded: “The UK energy system is changing and so is Drax. This is the next step for us in helping to change the way energy is generated, supplied and used for a better future.”

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