Drax has been burning biomass since 2003 and is currently England’s biggest producer of biomass-generated electricity and the UK’s largest generator of renewable electricity from a single facility. According to the company, the natural residues from the forestry industry and agricultural production burnt at Drax “delivers life cycle carbon footprint savings of over 50% compared to a typical gas-fired generating plant”.
However, plans to increase Drax's output of clean, biomass-generated power through the construction of two new plants in North Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire may be under threat.
Back in October, the UK government published its Renewables Obligation (RO) Banding Review Consultation, setting out proposed support levels for the various renewable technologies under the RO which will come into effect from April 2013. At the time, Dorothy Thompson, Chief Executive of Drax said: “We appreciate the extensive work undertaken by the Government on biomass options and we welcome the recognition of the strategically important role that sustainably-sourced biomass electricity can play in the future UK renewable energy mix”.
She went on to say that the proposed level of 1.0 ROC/MWh for enhanced co-firing (Drax burns biomass alongside conventional fossil fuels) would enable the company to increase co-firing, but she warned that the subsidy support would have to be improved if the company were to commit to rolling out plants using solely biomass. “If support were to be increased from the proposed level, we believe it would further the opportunity for burning biomass in place of coal in the UK’s coal-fired generation plant. This will lead to lower electricity prices for the UK consumer, who will otherwise bear the cost of the more expensive alternatives required to meet the UK’s 2020 climate change targets;” she said.
Drax says it “is prepared to expand significantly its renewable power generation to become, in time, a predominantly biomass fuelled generator and to contribute greatly to the UK’s renewables and carbon reduction targets”, but only if the ROC is increased.
“In addition to our focus on biomass co-firing at Drax Power Station, we have been working with Siemens Project Ventures on our dedicated biomass developments. We are disappointed with the proposed level of support for this technology, which makes the investment case for the developments highly challenging,” concludes Thompson.
Germans more upbeat
Despite Drax’s concerns, the German powerhouse, E.ON, has unveiled plans this month for a biomass-fired plant, which will begin construction at the end of November, at Blackburn Meadows near Sheffield.
The £120 million renewable energy plant will be set near the site of the old Tinsley Towers, adjacent to Meadowhall, and when operational will generate up to 30 MW, enough to power 40,000 homes, by converting recycled waste wood into electricity.
"As our commitment to Sheffield demonstrates, we're leading the development of renewable energy in the UK and biomass power stations, such as Blackburn Meadows, form an important part of that low carbon solution," commented Dave Rogers, Regional Director for Renewables at E.ON.
Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, described the announcement as “great news for the area”, saying it will deliver “a much needed boost for local jobs”. E.ON will use UK sourced recycled waste wood to power the plant and, as far as is possible, will use local companies throughout the construction of the energy plant. It is expected that the site will create around 30 full-time jobs within the local area once operational in mid-2014.
The company already owns and operates a 44MW dedicated biomass plant at Steven's Croft, near Lockerbie (Scotland). The scheme produces enough power to supply around 70,000 homes and displaces approximately 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year by burning wood in place of traditional fuels like coal and gas.
[Photo: Drax power station]
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