drax, Tag

The last coal-fired power station is closed, but what about the Drax station still burning trees, asks Donald Simpson. Also letter from Jude McCarthy

The Drax power plant burns 7m tonnes of biomass pellets a year and generates 4% of the UK’s electricity needs

Before biomass firm is promised a penny extra from billpayers, Ed Miliband should commission a review of its business model

Open letter to Labour energy secretary from 41 groups says wood-burning biomass plants are putting forests and biodiversity at risk

Open letter to Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, says biomass plants are putting forests and biodiversity at risk

Greenpeace among 150 groups expressing outrage after preemptive arrests led to cancellation of protest camp

Drax received £22bn in subsidies despite being UK’s largest emitter in 2023, though company rejects ‘flawed’ research

Owner of North Yorkshire power station earned £393m in government subsidies for biomass

As for Drax, they are in a bit of a hole, being totally reliant on government subsidies. If these are stopped, they don’t have a viable business; hence their desperation to expand operations, regardless of the environmental...

Climate groups and MPs criticise proposals for consumers to foot bill to support biomass plant after existing scheme ends in 2027

Scheme to convert biomass units could become one of world’s most expensive energy projects, experts say

Biomass is often touted as sustainable, yet this is a gross oversimplification. As the article points out,

Neither has Drax given us carbon-free electricity – unless you turn a blind eye to a colossal bureaucratic sleight of hand.

Bloomberg alleges Drax idled an electricity generating unit and resold its biomass pellets rather than return money to bill payers

...electricity supplies this winter would be less secure