Britain’s Largest CO2 Emitter to Switch to Biomass

Britain’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, Drax, could stop burning coal by 2020 according to its finance director Tony Quinlan. The company is looking to convert all six units of the coal-fired power station so that it only burns biomass.

"Drax is a viable business today as a coal plant," he told the Guardian. "But the opportunity to turn it into a renewable power company is an exciting one and makes sense for the UK‘s carbon targets and for our shareholders."

However, the company is awaiting the government’s approval to grant RE subsidies whereas currently only purpose-built biomass plants receive extra payouts to cover higher costs. If the government approves the funding, Drax hopes to convert the first unit with a generating capacity of 660 MW next year. "It has not been done before because there hasn’t been the need," Quinlan said. Two more Drax units could be converted to burning biomass by 2015, he added. The company also said that it could be forced to delay a £2 billion program to build three dedicated biomass plants as it looks to move away from coal-fired power generation.

Get the LATEST issue of Alternative Energy Africa featuring biofuels in the aviation industry, the Northwest Bend, and much more. Subscribe today to stay in-the-know.