Drax biomass scheme gets off the ground
Drax Power Station, Britain’s largest coal-fired plant has become one of Europe’s biggest renewable electricity generators this week.
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Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey opened the Drax coal-to-biomass conversion plan, and announced the Government was awarding funding to further the White Rose CCS project, also based at the site.
Drax plans to transform itself into a predominantly biomass-fuelled generator through burning sustainable biomass in place of coal, and in April 2013 it finished converting one of its generating units to biomass. It plans to convert a further two units by 2016.
The new £700 million planned conversion project will burn wood pellets rather than coal, which Drax calculate will reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent compared to coal. The facilities will provide enough low carbon power to the equivalent of around 1 million homes and will help to safeguard 1,200 jobs and many more in the supply chain and in local communities.
