Drax bioenergy and carbon capture project gets government green light

17 January 2024 | Muriel Cozier

UK government gives go-ahead for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage project.

The Drax Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) project to be located at the company’s facility in North Yorkshire, UK, has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net-Zero, Claire Coutinho.

The project proposes to install post-combustion technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from up to two of the existing biomass units at Drax Power Station. Proposals include the construction and operation of carbon capture technology and associated equipment, and the integration of the units into the existing common services at Drax Power Station.

The Drax investment in BECCS could also deliver up to 10,000 skilled jobs across the UK at the peak of the project’s construction, the company said.

Analysis by Baringa, commissioned by Drax, found that the project could save the UK up to £15 billion in whole-economy costs between 2030 and 2050, compared with other more complex carbon reduction methods.

Drax added that it believed the project was the only credible large-scale carbon removal option that could deliver energy security and support the UK’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target by generating renewable electricity.

The company claims that the project could offset carbon emissions equivalent to all departing flights from Heathrow Airport.

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