Store extension at Drax power station completes

A major extension to a strategic store at Drax power station in North Yorkshire has been completed in a £200,000 project.

Building and civil engineering firm Britcon carried out the work, which involved adding 2,500 sq ft to the 16,500 sq ft strategic store that it built nine years ago to house back up components for turbines in case of a shut down.

Drax in Selby is currently responsible for generating over 7% of the UK’s electricity.  Following successes upgrades to the site through innovative engineering, it is now a predominantly biomass-fuelled generator.

Seventy per cent of the electricity it produces – enough to power Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool – is now made using compressed wood pellets rather than coal. Recent announcements and an ambitions acquisitions programme set out targets to increase its renewable electricity supply in the UK.

Paul Clarkson, managing director at Britcon, said: “We are pleased to maintain a strong and trusting  relationship with our fifth project in the last three years with Drax which continues to embark on innovative new practices to secure its place as a top five energy provider.  We look forward to continuing our work with the Drax team for years to come.”