Drax to invest £40m at its North Yorkshire power station on first phase of carbon capture project

Drax says this will ensure it remains on track to begin delivering vital negative emissions technology in 2027.

As part of the investment, Drax has selected Worley to begin the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) work at the start of 2022 and may also work with the company on the subsequent design and build phases of the BECCS project, subject to contract.

Drax will also commence site preparation works for BECCS across its North Yorkshire power station including relocation and decommissioning work to make space for the project.

Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group, said: “Our investment in BECCS and the signing of this contract with Worley demonstrates Drax’s commitment to deliver a vital technology which is urgently needed to address the climate crisis.

"It’s no longer enough to reduce emissions – the world has got to start removing carbon from the atmosphere if we are to avert this climate crisis."

BECCS is seen as an essential technology to tackle climate change with the project at Drax set to capture and permanently lock away at least eight million tonnes of CO2 a year, exceeding the Government’s ambition to deliver five megatonnes of negative emissions from engineered removals each year by 2030 as outlined in the recently published Net Zero Strategy.

Drax has aleady converted its power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, reducing its emissions by more than 90 per cent.

By deploying BECCS technology, Drax says it will create and protect tens of thousands of jobs across the North, kickstart new green industries and make the UK a global leader in negative emissions technologies.

Mr Gardiner said: “The Government’s ambition for BECCS and its backing for the East Coast Cluster further demonstrates the vital role this negative emissions technology at Drax can play in helping the UK reach its net zero targets, as well as creating and protecting thousands of jobs and kickstarting a new green economy.”

Worley, a global provider of professional project and asset services, delivers engineering, procurement and construction, as well as consulting services for the energy, chemicals and resources sectors around the world.

Chris Ashton, CEO of Worley, said: “As a global professional services company headquartered in Australia, we are pleased that Drax has engaged Worley in this important carbon capture project.

"Our partnership with Drax is one of the ways we’re helping our customers adapt existing assets and decarbonize industrial clusters, whilst also supporting Worley’s strategic focus on sustainability and delivering a more sustainable world.”

The announcement follows Drax’s decision in the summer to partner with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group as its technology partner.

As well as this the company outlined its ambition to source 80 per cent of the construction materials and services from UK supply chain, meaning businesses could benefit from contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds, creating and protecting jobs across the North and levelling up the country.

BECCS could be deployed at Drax as soon as 2027 with an effective negative emissions policy and investment framework from the Government, Drax said.

Drax has already kickstarted the planning process to deploy BECCS at its power station in North Yorkshire – if successful, work could get underway to build BECCS at Drax as soon as 2024.

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