Drax Can See End Of Coal Operations

Almost 50 years of coal-fired electricity generation at Drax Power Station in the UK is expected to come to an end in March 2021, marking a major milestone in the company’s world-leading ambition to become carbon negative by 2030.

It means the country’s largest power station will stop using coal well ahead of the government’s 2025 deadline, making an even bigger contribution to the UK’s efforts to achieve net zero.

The decision to stop using coal at Drax comes after a comprehensive review of its operations. Drax does not expect to use coal after March 2021, but will ensure its two remaining coal units remain available until September 2022 in line with its existing capacity market agreements.

Over the last decade four of the power station’s six generating units have been converted to use sustainable biomass, delivering carbon savings of more than 80% compared to when they used coal. This has transformed Drax to become the UK’s largest renewable power generator and the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe.

Drax Power Station near Selby in North Yorkshire first started generating electricity using coal in the 1970s. Once the second half of the power station was built in the 1980s, it became the largest power station in the UK with the capacity to generate electricity for 6 million households.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Drax Supports United Way’s Latest Efforts

Construction Ongoing At Drax Pellet Plants

Westervelt Sells Pellet Interests

Drax Announces $40M Investment In Arkansas

Drax Sets Sights On Carbon Capture

Pinnacle Renewable Energy To Be Acquired By Drax Group

Earthworm, Drax Working Together

Drax Adds Rail Link

Drax Appoints White To Lead U.S.

Latest news

Enviva Announces Acquisitions

Enviva is expanding its footprint in the south once again through acquisitions—this time with the purchase of Georgia Biomass in Waycross, Ga., which was commissioned in April 2011, with associated export terminal capacity in Savannah, Ga. for $175 million in cash. The Waycross facility has an annual production capacity of 750,000 MTPY. This announcement comes after Enviva purchased the pellet plant in Greenwood, SC…

Election May Give New Hope For Arizona Biomass

A major reshuffling of candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission may bring new life to a derailed effort that would expand biomass utilization in the state to help facilitate much-needed forest thinning and restoration efforts. A state court judge recently threw multiple candidates off the ballot due to irregularities in signature-gathering, including an incumbent and the commission’s biggest biomass supporter…

Alaska Coal Firm Acquires Pellet Mill

Officials with Alaska-based Usibelli Mines, Inc. recently announced the company has acquired Superior Pellet Fuels of Fairbanks, which produces wood pellets and briquettes for local markets. New Usibelli…

Find Us On Social

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Wood Bioenergy News Online hits the inboxes of subscribers in the wood-to-energy sectors.

Subscribe/Renew

Wood Bioenergy is published and delivered worldwide 6 times per year. Free to qualified readers in the U.S. Subscribers outside the U.S. are asked to pay a small fee.

Advertise

Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.