Drax aims to be ‘carbon negative’

THE YORKSHIRE-BASED power station Drax is aiming to become ‘carbon negative’ by 2030, in what the company claims is a world-first move to tackle climate change.

Under the plans, Drax will burn wood pellets at its power plant in North Yorkshire – which is already largely powered by the renewable fuel – and use technology to capture and store the carbon emissions produced.

As the trees will have absorbed carbon dioxide while growing, more carbon will be removed from the atmosphere than is produced throughout the firm’s operations – making it carbon negative, Drax said.

A pilot for the process, known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (Beccs), at the site is capturing a tonne of carbon dioxide a day. Full story: Business Tuesday Page 1