Drax pauses UK BECCS project investment pending government support

U.K. utility and pellet producer Drax says it’s pausing its multi-million pound investment program in the Drax Power Station bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project.

In a news release, Drax CEO Will Gardiner urged the government to outline its support for BECCS, warning that further delays to their project could impact the U.K.’s energy security, net-zero ambitions and the Drax power plant’s viability.

The company said it welcomed the U.K. government’s recent budget support for carbon capture and storage, but needed clarity on whether their BECCS project would gain Track 1 status, eligible for government support.

“Whilst we welcome the government’s ambition to invest billions in carbon capture and storage, we need a firm commitment to BECCS before we commit to investing £2bn into installing this technology at Drax Power Station,” Gardiner said.

The news release also noted new research, commissioned by Drax, from Baringa that highlights the critical contribution that biomass could play in Great Britain in the late 2020s with the closure of coal plants and nuclear power stations.

Read Drax’s full news release here.