A report has claimed that the Drax biomass power station generated four times the carbon emissions of the UK’s last coal plant, Ratcliffe on Soar in 2023.
According to a report from think tank Ember, Drax released 11.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023, representing nearly 3% of the UK’s total territorial emissions.
The study suggests this figure surpasses the combined emissions of the next four largest power stations and significantly exceeds those of the UK’s last remaining coal plant (2.7 Mt).
Drax continues to receive significant public funding.
According to the study, in the past year alone, the company was awarded £550 million in subsidies, bringing the total amount of public funds received to around £7 billion.
These subsidies are available under the EU and UK Emissions Trading Schemes, which do not require biomass power plants to report emissions, assuming that forest regrowth offsets the carbon dioxide produced.
Ember analyst Frankie Mayo said: “Burning wood pellets can be as bad for the environment as coal, supporting biomass with subsidies is a costly mistake.”
A Drax spokesperson told Energy Live News: “This is another flawed report from Ember which chooses to ignore the widely accepted and internationally recognised approach to carbon accounting.
“As a result, its conclusions are at odds with what the world’s leading climate scientists at the UN IPCC say about sustainable biomass and also Ember’s own analysis which relies on a significant contribution from Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage technology in modelling a clean power system by 2030.
“Drax Power Station generates around 8% of the UK’s renewable electricity, keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses. We are paid for the power we produce like every other renewable generator.
“We plan to invest billions in developing two BECCS units at Drax Power Station which could create up to 10,000 new jobs at the peak of construction.
“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.”
