Drax branded UK's 'biggest carbon emitter' in new report

The North Yorkshire power plant, which received more than £0.5bn in clean-energy subsidies in 2023, is said to have emitted 11.5m tonnes of CO2 last year.

This amounts to nearly three per cent of the UK’s total, according to climate thinktank Ember, and is more than the next four most polluting power plants combined.

Drax has dismissed the thinktank’s findings as “flawed” and accused its authors of ignoring the “widely accepted and internationally recognised approach to carbon accounting”.

The power station near Selby burns wood pellets to generate electricity, but report authors argue it has a carbon intensity equivalent to coal - and is burned at bigger volumes.

Frankie Mayo, an analyst at Ember, told media: “Burning wood pellets can be as bad for the environment as coal; supporting biomass with subsidies is a costly mistake.”

The new annual ranking by Ember looks at data from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme registry and company annual reports, covering a period through 2023.

Biomass burning, steelworks and gas power are the top UK carbon polluters, it found, with Drax power plant as the largest single source of carbon emissions.

This is despite its receipt of public funding earmarked for low-carbon projects, receiving £6.5 billion from 2002 to 2023.

Energy security is possible without the need for billions in public subsidies for the largest emitters, report authors argue, calling for a rapid roll-out of cheap energy generation, accelerating deployment with electricity grid upgrades to make the network more efficient.

Mayo, speaking to media, said: “Burning wood for power is an expensive risk that limits UK energy independence and has no place in the journey to net zero. True energy security comes from homegrown wind and solar, a healthy grid and robust planning for how to make the power system flexible and efficient.”

But Drax, accusing Ember of ignoring the widely accepted approach to carbon accounting, said its conclusions are at odds with the world’s leading climate scientists as a result.

“Drax Power Station generates around eight per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity," a spokesman said, "keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses. We are paid for the power we produce like every other renewable generator.

"The technology that underpins BECCS is proven, and it is the only credible large-scale way of generating secure renewable power and delivering carbon removals.”

A government spokesperson said the report “misrepresents” how biomass emissions are measured, adding that biomass sourced in line with strict sustainability criteria can be used as a low-carbon source of energy. They added: "We will continue to monitor biomass electricity generation to ensure it meets required standards.”