Think tank Ember has today accused energy giant Drax of being “by far the largest single emitter of CO2 in the UK”, as it argued the £500m in subsidy support the company has received for its biomass power plant amounts to a “costly mistake”.
Ember today published a new analysis detailing how Drax emitted 11.5 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 in 2023, making it responsible for nearly three per cent of total UK territorial emissions. It also contested claims the carbon emissions from the plant are largely offset through the growth of biomass feedstocks, arguing such carbon removals are “often uncertain and cannot happen in the timeframe needed”.
In response, Drax called Ember’s figures “flawed” and accused the think tank of choosing “to ignore the widely accepted and internationally recognised approach to carbon accounting” that recognises biomass as a source of low carbon power.
Ember’s report claims Drax’s emissions are more than the next four largest power stations in the UK combined and over four times the emissions of the UK’s remaining coal power plant, Ratcliffe on Soar, which according to the think tank produced 2.7 Mt.
“Burning wood pellets can be as bad for the environment as coal, supporting biomass with subsidies is a costly mistake,” said Ember analyst Frankie Mayo.
Some studies have argued the carbon footprint of biomass power can be higher than coal power plants when changes in land use that result from demand for biomass feedstocks are considered. Ember’s research highlights how wood has low energy density, which means high volumes of pellets are burned at Drax to generate power, thereby releasing more CO2 per unit of electricity than coal or gas.
But Drax has consistently maintained it uses sustainable feedstocks that result in significant emissions savings compared to fossil fuel power plants when entire lifecycle emissions are considered.
In a statement, the company said Ember’s 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 (BECCS) technology in modelling a clean power system by 2030”.
Ember’s report also reiterated concerns about Drax’s eligibility for public subsidies, estimating that it received in the region of £550m in public subsides last year and is “seeking to extend them beyond 2027”.
The think tank calculated the total public subsidy the company has received for its biomass power amounts to around £7bn, noting that it has continued to enjoy support “even as concerns grow over the climate impacts of wood burning”.
Ember said Drax was eligible for public support because the UK Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) does not require wood-burning power plants to report emissions. It said this exemption is based on the assumption forest growth offsets emissions, but the think tank argued this assumption has been “widely called into question” by recent research.
Ember also warned the UK’s use of biomass power could increase its reliance on fuel imports. Ember’s analysis found Drax Power Station used 5.8 million tonnes of wood biomass in 2023, the vast majority of which was imported.
Moreover, the report suggests Drax’s dual role as a producer and consumer of wood pellets introduces incentives that run counter to UK energy security. It argues Drax “may find it more profitable to sell pellets on the global market rather than use them for UK power generation when electricity prices are high”.
“Burning wood for power is an expensive risk that limits UK energy independence and has no place in the journey to net zero,” said Mayo. “True energy security comes from home-grown wind and solar, a healthy grid, and robust planning for how to make the power system flexible and efficient.”
In response to the report a spokesperson for Drax reiterated that biomass power is classified as renewable energy because the emissions that result from the burning of biomass are compensated through the growing of new biomass feedstocks. “Drax Power Station generates around eight per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity, keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses,” they said. “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.”
Drax added that it returns “millions of pounds” back to the UK government every year, including a total of £124m in taxes and £114m for the electricity generator levy in the first half of 2024.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero also contested Ember’s conclusions. “This report fundamentally misrepresents how biomass emissions are measured,” they said. “The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change is clear that biomass sourced in line with strict sustainability criteria can be used as a low carbon source of energy. We will continue to monitor biomass electricity generation to ensure it meets required standards. Investing in clean power is the route to end the UK’s energy insecurity and tackling the climate crisis, and we are taking immediate action to implement our plan for clean power by 2030.”
The Ember report comes just hours after a group of 22 climate campaigners were arrested ahead of a planned protest at Drax’s North Yorkshire power station.
Campaign group Reclaim the Power cancelled the protests after police made the arrests and seized equipment.
A spokesperson for the group told ITV News the decision to arrest peaceful protestors was “unfathomable”. “Racist violence is happening nationwide,” they said. “Black and brown communities are under attack with fire and bricks and the police have made the unfathomable decision to divert resources away from those communities to arrest 22 people taking equipment to make a peaceful climate protest safe and accessible. The police claim they are not against protest but against crime, but their actions show otherwise.
“In Yorkshire this morning, police prioritised locating and arresting people suspected of organising peaceful protest with tents, toilets and track for wheelchairs over locating and arresting people who are actually organising far right riots.”
North Yorkshire Police said it had made arrests over public order offences, including conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure.
A spokesperson for Drax said the planned protest was “completely misguided”. “Drax has been at the forefront of efforts to help the UK to decarbonise at a faster rate than any other country and is the country’s biggest renewable power generator by output, keeping the lights on for four million homes and businesses across the UK,” they said. “We thank North Yorkshire Police for their swift action this morning to protect our colleagues and the wider community.”
You can now sign up to attend the fifth annual Net Zero Festival, which will be hosted by BusinessGreen on October 22-23 at the Business Design Centre in London.
