Drax to build three biomass power stations

The company is to build a total of three new plants worth £2bn in Hull, Immingham and a third location still to be decided, possibly in the village of Drax itself.

The facilities will have the capacity to produce 900MW of electricity, and will burn plant-based materials as biomass fuel.

Dorothy Thompson, Chief Executive of Drax, said: “We believe our venture into dedicated biomass-fired generation underpins our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of electricity generation from the continued, but necessary, reliance on fossil fuels, whilst delivering secure and reliable supplies of electricity.

“Based on current estimates, once all three plants are operational Drax will be responsible for supplying at least 15% of the UK’s renewable power and up to 10% of total UK electricity.”

The project is a Joint Development Agreement with Siemens Project Ventures, with Siemens providing the turbine technology for the plants.