The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, has approved the Development Consent Order (the DCO) for Drax Power’s plans to convert two of its biomass units at Drax Power Station to the carbon removals technology bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).

The DCO decision letter makes clear that the Examining Authority was satisfied of the ability of the proposed development to achieve a 95 per cent capture efficiency and that it was reasonable to treat biomass combustion emissions as zero rated. The Examining Authority concludes that over the whole life of the Proposed Development there would be negative GHG emissions due to carbon captured in the operational phase.

Drax’s plans to invest billions in BECCS, and source 80 per cent of the materials and services it needs to develop BECCS in the UK from British businesses. When fully operational, the plants should deliver renewable power and remove approximately 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Drax Power Station currently has four biomass generating units and produces around four per cent of the country’s power and nine per cent of its renewable electricity.

Will Gardiner, CEO Drax Group, said: “The DCO approval is another milestone in the development of our BECCS plans, and demonstrates both the continued role that Drax Power Station has in delivering UK energy security and the critical role it could have in delivering large-scale carbon dioxide removals to meet net-zero targets.”

Drax also aims to build on its BECCS innovation at Drax Power Station with a target to deliver four million tonnes of negative CO2 emissions each year from new-build BECCS outside of the UK by 2030 and is currently developing models for North American and European markets.

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