Since deploying Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Ctorage (BECCS) at its Yorkshire, Teeside power station, DRAX is set to go even further -- generating the negative emissions needed to meet the UK's net-zero climate target.
DRAX presently generates 12 pct of the UK's renewable electricity -- sufficient power for 5 million or more homes while supporting the deployment of intermittent renewables such as wind and solar. (Source: DRAX, Website PR, 9 Sept., 2021) DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Carnon Emissions, Biomass, CCS, Bioenergy Carbon Capture, BECCS,
DRAX presently has a pilot BECCS project at its power station in Yorkshire. Bechtel will study potential regions for new BECCS plants and how to optimise plant design for maximum efficiency and lowest cost.
BECCS is a negative emissions technology which extracts bioenergy from biomass and then captures and stores the carbon dioxide but is not yet at commercial scale. (Source: DRAX, PR, 3 June, 2021) Contact: Bechtel, www.bechtel.com; DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BECCS, DRAX, Bechtel, CCS, Biomass,
Together, the new facilities will produce roughly 120,000 tpy of sustainable biomass pellets from sawmill and forestry dry waste.
DRAx will invest $40 million in the project. The company is aiming to be carbon negative by 2030. (Source: DRAX, PR, May, 2021) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com
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With the purchase, DRAX becomes the world's leading sustainable bioenergy generation and supply company, operating across North America, the UK, Europe and Asia. The purchase of Pinnacle's 11 sites will increase DRAX' operations to 17 pellet plants and development projects and boosts its production capacity to 4.9 million from 2.9 million. DRAX will also gain a terminal in Prince Rupert.
Pinnacle will operate as a subsidiary of DRAX and remain headquartered in British Columbia. (Source: DRAX, PR, Yahoo, 17 Apr., 2021)) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com; Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Duncan Davies, CEO, 604.270.9613, 604.270.9914--fax, www.pinnaclepellet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Woody Biomass, Pinnacle Renewable Energy,
The deal, which is subject to shareholder approvals, is expected to add 2.9 million tpy of biomass power production capacity to DRAX group and significantly reduce its average cost of production. (Source: DRAX, PR, Website, 15 Mar., 2021) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com; Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Duncan Davies, CEO, 604.270.9613, 604.270.9914--fax, www.pinnaclepellet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Wood Pellet, DRAX, Woody Biomass, Pinnacle Renewable Energy,
The planned project is subject to its application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) -- a process which takes around two years to complete. If approved construction on the first of two 8 million tpy BECCS units could get underway in 2024.
As we reopoert in Dec. 2020, an Imperial College London report for DRAX Electric Insights found the UK's electricity grid has decarbonised faster than other countries in the last decade and that renewable power has grown six-fold in the last 10 years, helping the UK cut its carbon intensity by 58 pct -- double the reduction seen in other major economies over the 2010-2120 period. The report also noted coal-fired power generation dropped from 30 pct to just 2 pct with renewables rising simultaneously from 8 pct to supplying 42 pct of the UK's electricity over the last decade.
The shift to renewables means individual UK households have cut reduced their CO2 emissions by .75 tpy, according to the report.
(Source: DRAX, PR, Yorkshire Post, Mar., 2021) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com
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According to the release, DRAX and Pinnacle combined will have 17 wood pellet plants, 3 major fibre baskets, 4 deep water ports, 4.9 Mt capacity from 2022 with 2.9 Mt available for self-supply, 2.6 GW of renewable biomass generation, with potential for BECCS, global growth opportunities for sustainable biomass. (Source: DRAX, Website, Various Media, 8 Feb., 2021) Contact: Pinnacle Renewable Energy, Duncan Davies, CEO, 604.270.9613, 604.270.9914--fax, www.pinnaclepellet.com;
DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 (0) 1757 618381, www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Wood Pellet, DRAX, Woody Biomass, Pinnacle Renewable Energy,
Over the last decade, coal-fired power generation dropped from 30 pct to just 2 pct with renewables rising simultaneously from 8 pct to supplying 42 pct of the UK's electricity.
The shift to renewables means UK households have each reduced their CO2 emissions by .75 tpy, according to the report. (Source: DRAX, DRAX Electric Insights, Imperial College London, PR, 30 Nov., 2020) Contact:
Imperial College London, Dr Iain Staffell, i.staffell@imperial.ac.uk, www.imperial.ac.uk: DRAX, Richard Peberdy, +44(0)1757 618381, www.drax.com
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HFL measures changes in the forest landscape using empirical evidence such as big data from government statistics and input from earth observations from satellites, other remote sensing technologies, and its own socio-economic evaluation methodology to assess community wellbeing.
(Source: DRAX, Bioenergy Insight, 28 Oct., 2020)
Contact: Earthworm Foundation, www.earthworm.org; DRAX,
Richard Peberdy, Head of Sustainable Forests, +44(0)1757 618381, www.drax.com
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The Zero Carbon Humber letter argues that if the bid was successful it would help unlock a potentially multi-billion pound project, reduce the UK's annual emissions by 15 pct and help the UK meet its international legally binding climate target.
The Zero Carbon Humber partnership, which was first announced in May 2019, members include: Drax, National Grid Ventures , Equinor, international trade bodies, business and investment groups, local authorities , academic institutions and others.
According to Zero Carbon Humber's website, "Industrial powerhouses like the Yorkshire and the Humber region are an essential and valued part of the UK's economy but produce high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: the Humber is the most carbon intensive industrial cluster in the country, emitting 12.4 million tpy.
Developing carbon capture usage and storage (CCS or CCUS) technology and hydrogen (H2) starting in Yorkshire and the Humber would preserve jobs by enabling energy intensive industries to continue to operate and thrive even against a backdrop of ever tighter emissions targets linked to the UK's carbon budgets.
Without CCUS, the Humber will face perhaps insurmountable challenges. By drawing on the existing skills and infrastructure in it and the wider region, the Humber can become the base for the UK's first zero carbon industrial cluster, helping to create a cleaner environment for future generations whilst delivering new jobs and export opportunities for British businesses."
2021. (Source: Zero Carbon Humber, Current News, 23 Oct., 2020) Contact: Zero Carbon Humber, www.zerocarbonhumber.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, UK Carbon Emissions,
The pilot, which is expected to get underway this autumn, will test two of MHI's proprietary solvents -- KS-1TM Solvent which is presently being used at 13 commercial plants including Petra Nova in Texas where it is capturing 1.4 million tpy of CO2 , and KS-21TM Solvent which is designed to achieve significant performance improvements and cost savings, according to MHIE.
Implementing BECCS at Drax could deliver 16 million tpy of negative emissions -- a third of the negative emissions the UK needs from BECCS to reach its zero carbon targets by 2050, according to DRAX. (Source: DRAX, MHI, Cdn. Biomass, 24 June, 2020) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44(0)1757 618381
www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, DRAX, CCS, Biomass,
Four of the plant's six reactors use wood pellets and a carbon-capture system, while Drax intends on becoming carbon negative by 2030, by removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than it emits.
Drax adds that the switch, in line with UK government policy to ban the use of coal by 2025, allows it to keep the plant running and maintain 900 jobs. (Source: DRAX, France24, 30 May, 2020) Contact: DRAX,
Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
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The Biomass Carbon Calculator is in line with the company's drive to become carbon-negative by 2030 and the UK's effort to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.
The calculator, which will use real-time supply chain data to improve emission reporting and identify points where carbon reductions can be made,
in compliance with the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive II.
(Source: DRAX, Trade Media,6 May, 2020) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Drax, DRAX, Woody Biomass, Biomass Pellet, Carbon Emissions,
Roughly two thirds of the 7.5 million tpy of sustainable biomass Drax uses comes from the company's US three pellet mills.
Drax also has agreements with a number of other suppliers in the US and elsewhere around the world including in Canada, the Baltics and Portugal, according to a release. (Source: Drax, PR , April, 2020)
Contact: Drax, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 07712 670 888,
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Woody Biomass, Biomass, Wood Pellet,
The research, conducted in partnership with research and insights company, Drax Insights, notes that emissions from power consumption dropped by a massive 14 pct in 2019, driven by the falling use of fossil fuels and increases in renewables which was eight-times higher in 2019 than in 2010 - with the combined capacity of wind, solar, biomass and hydro having grown six-fold over the since 2010, from 5.2GW to 38.5GW. An 8 pct drop in energy demand was also a factor.
In the last decade power sector emissions fell from 161 million tonnes in 2010 to 54 million metric tonnes in 2019. (Source: Imperial College London, Smart Energy, 17 Feb., 2020) Contact: Imperial College London, www.imperial.ac.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, UK Carbon Emissions,
The potential unintended consequences of scaling up biomass energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS} in the UK and assesses the extent to which the technologies could deliver true and sustainable decarbonisation to the energy sector.
BECCS has received a swathe of Government support and media coverage in recent times, both in the build-up to the ratification of the UK's 2050 net-zero goal, and after its implementation. Supporters of the technologies point out that biomass, unlike gas or other fossil fuels, is renewable, and that it is produces less emissions when burned. If these emissions can be captured for storage and reuse, the process can become carbon neutral or even carbon negative, firms including Drax have claimed.
The report, however, warns that BECCS is "no silver bullet" for a net-zero energy sector. It claims that there has not been enough research into the likely energy output of BECCS or the environmental impacts of scaling up biomass supply chains, making it difficult to determine whether BECCS systems can be carbon-neutral across the life cycle.
According to the report, deployment of BECCS at the scales assumed by the UK's modelling, on a global scale, would consume land equivalent to that currently accounted for by cropland. This could pose problems for food security, result in biodiversity loss and hamper plans to re-assess land-use in line with net-zero, Chatham House concludes. Chatham House claims that failures to account for biomass supply chain emissions undermine the assumption that BECCS systems are inherently carbon-neutral and is accordingly calling for stricter sustainability requirements for biomass feedstock and urging the Government to prioritise decarbonisation across carbon-intensive sectors, reshape its land-use strategies to ensure BECCS decisions are made after full considerations of all alternatives, both technology-based and nature-based.
Download the report HERE. (Source: Chatham House, edie news, February 2020)
Contact: Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs, +44 (0) 20 7957 5710, contact@chathamhouse.org, www.chathamhouse.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News BECCS, Chatham House, Carbon Emissions, Biomass, Bioenergy,
According to a company statement, Drax produced 650,000 metric tons of wood pellets during the first half of 2019, a sligth drop from the same period in 2018.
The company also noted the expansion in biomass capacity would allow it to develop an unsubsidized biomass generation business by 2027. (Source: DRAX, Biomass, 20 Nov., 2019) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Woody Biomass, Biomass,
The report found that the accumulated emissions of burning wood pellets from these U.S. mills to produce electricity in the UK increases carbon pollution in the atmosphere for more than 40 years -- well beyond the time-frame identified by the IPCC as critical for carbon reduction.
Download the report details HERE. (Source: Southern Environmental Law Center, 12 Aug., 2019) Contact: Southern Environmental Law Center, www.southernenvironment.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomass, Woody Biomass, Carbon Emissions, Southern Environmental Law Center,
Deep Branch Biotechnology is to run the new pilot project within the DRAX power plant's Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Incubation Area. For the pilot project, scientists will gather waste CO2 from energy generation and feed it to microbes which will use it to make single-cell proteins that could replace soy and fish meal in fish and livestock feeds.
Deep Branch claims it can convert "up to 60-70 pct of CO2 into protein, helping to both minimize the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere during power generation and other industrial processes, whilst producing protein for animal feeds which will help reduce the impact of agricultural sectors on the environment as well."
The Deep Branch pilot, which is slated to get underway this autumn, aims to capture enough CO2 to produce 100kg of protein.
If successful, Deep Branch Biotechnology plans to build a larger production facility by 2020.
DRAX has been capturing CO2 since February through its Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) pilot project, which uses technology developed by Leeds University spin-out company C-Capture. (Source: Deep Branch Biotechnology, DRAX, June, 2019) Contact: Deep Branch Biotechnology, Peter Rowe, CEO, info@deepbranchbio.com, www.deepbranchbio.com; DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, www.drax.com; C-Capture, Caspar Schoolderman, Director of Engineering, Tel/Fax +44 0 113 245 0418, www.c-capture.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News C-Capture, CCUS, DRAX, CO2, Carbon Capture,
Questions and additional information is HERE.
(Source: Market & Research, Industry News Daily, 9 April, 2019)Contact: Markets and Research, www.marketsnresearch.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Wood Pellet, Woody Biomass,
Drax has invested £400,000 in the pilot, which could be the first of several projects undertaken at the power station to deliver a rapid, lower cost demonstration of BECCS. According to the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, BECCS could enable the capture 50 million tpy of CO2 by 2050 -- approximately half the UK's emissions target.
As previously reported, DRAX converted two thirds of the Selby Station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal making the plant the country's largest renewable power generator and the largest decarbonisation project in Europe.
C-Capture designs world-leading, patented chemical processes for carbon dioxide removal.The company's solvent-based technology offers a safe, low-cost way to remove CO2 from emissions sources such as power stations, industrial plants and anaerobic digestion.
(Source: DRAX, PR, 7 Feb., 2019) Contact: University of Leeds, www.leeds.ac.uk; C-CAPTURE, Caspar Schoolderman, Director of Engineering, www.c-capture.co.uk; DRAX , Will Gardiner, CEO, www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Carbon Capture, C-CAPTURE, CO2, CCS,
The "first of its kind" demonstration plant uses innovative technology developed by Leeds University spin-out C-Capture to capture CO2 from the combustion of a 100 pct biomass feedstock. The pilot plant was commissioned last November.
Drax has invested £400,000 in the pilot, which could be the first of several projects undertaken at the power station to deliver a rapid, lower cost demonstration of BECCS. According to the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, BECCS could enable the capture of 50 million tpy by 2050 -- almost half of the UK's emissions target.
Drax operates electric power generation and compressed wood biomass pellet production operations across the UK, including the woddy biomass-fired Selby, North Yorkshire plant which supplies fully 6 pct of the country's electricity needs.
C-Capture's proprietary solvent-based chemical processes removes CO2 from emissions sources such as power stations, industrial plants and anaerobic digestion.
(Source: DRAX, PR, 7 Feb., 2019) Contact: University of Leeds, www.leeds.ac.uk; C-CAPTURE, Caspar Schoolderman, Director of Engineering , www.c-capture.co.uk; DRAX , Will Gardiner, CEO, www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Biomass, Woody Biomass, Wood Pellet,
The DRAX proposal for four combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) was warranted to replace its existing two coal-fired units ahead of the government's proposed coal phase-out in 2025. However,ClientEarth's assessment of the DRAX plans noted the project's scale, high emissions intensity and expected long operating life combined make it a "significant" threat to the UK achieving its carbon targets. ClientEarth also noted "DRAX has failed to prove why adding so much new large-scale fossil fuel power is necessary given existing and planned capacity. It has also failed to assess the project's full climate impact, at the precise time when the UK needs to rapidly decarbonize."
The UK government estimates the UK will need 6GW of new gas power generation capacity through to 2035. Approving DRAX project would take this to 18GW -- three times the government's estimates.
As previously reported, Drax announced that it is to pilot the first bioenergy carbon capture storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe which could make the renewable electricity produced at its North Yorkshire power station carbon negative. DRAX partnered with Leeds, UK-based C-Capture who invested £400,000 in what could be the first of several pilot projects undertaken at DRAX. (Source: DRAX, Air Quality News, Jan., 2019) Contact: ClientEarth, Sam Hunter Jones, Jon Bennett, +44 (0) 303 050 5935, jbennett@clientearth.org, www.clientearth.org; DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
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Selby, UK-based Drax purchased Scottish Power's portfolio of pumped storage, hydro and gas-fired generation, which comprises Scottish Power Generation Group and its wholly owned subsidiary, SMW.
The assets sale included the 440-MW Cruachan pumped storage hydro electric scheme in Argyll and Bute; run-of-river hydro locations at Galloway and Lanark; (126MW); a biomass-from-waste facility at Daldowie; and four Combined Cycle Gas Turbine stations in England.
(Source: DRAX Group, The National, 3 Jan., 2019) Contact: Scottish Power, Keith Anderson, CEO, +44 800 027 0072, www.scottishpower.co.uk; DRAX Power, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Scottish Power , DRAX, Renewable Energy,
The new power station acquisitions will increase DRAX's electric power generation capacity by 60 pct and add 2.6GW of generation.
DRAX, the UK's largest renewable energy generator, operates biomass units at its site near Selby, following a decade-long conversion of two-thirds of the plant from coal fired to more sustainable biomass.
(Source: DRAX, PR, 1 Jan., 2018) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, Biomass, Woody Biomass,
The UK aims to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 pct compared with 1990 levels by 2050.
(Source: DRAX, Investing.com, 26 Nov., 2018))Contact: DRAX Power, Andy Koss, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DRAX, CCS, Carbon Storage, CO2, Woody Biomass,
Scottish Power scuttled all of its coal plants over the last 10 years and now has 2,700 MW of wind power capacity operating or under construction in the UK. It also has 3,000 MW of projects in the planning stage.
Drax runs the UK's largest power plant near Selby in North Yorkshire and is moving away from coal ahead of a government deadline for an emissions limit on coal plants from 2025.
To date the company has converted four of its six generating units to burn wood pellets.
The Selby plant is believed to be the first bioenergy carbon capture storage (Beccs) project of its type in Europe.
(Source: DRAX, BBC, 16 Oct., 2018) Contact: Scottish Power, Keith Anderson, CEO, +44 800 027 0072, www.scottishpower.co.uk; DRAX Power, Andy Koss, CEO, +44 0 1757 618381, www.draxpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Scottish Power, DRAX, Biomass, Carbon Capture,