Drax transitioning period requires new permanent office buildings

Drax Power, which operates the largest power station in the UK, has unveiled plans for permanent office buildings.

The Selby-based company, which provides supplies six percent of the country’s electricity needs, developed these plans as it continues transitioning to become a coal-free generator.

Modular buildings provider Portakabin has been selected to design and build a permanent two-storey office complex for Drax Power’s employees.

The company’s strategy is to deliver 5 Gigawatts (GW) of flexible and reliable power generation at Drax through a combination of biomass and new gas capacity. As part of this project, there is an increasing need for flexible space for the specialist teams of contractors brought in to deliver these changes.

Drax Group already has a wide variety of interim buildings by Portakabin, and this new building will be the first permanent structure delivered by the Portakabin team on its Selby site.

Nick Griffin, general manager for Portakabin, said: “We are building a modern office complex which has a design life of 60 years which will offer over 4,400m2 of space for specialist contractors.  We also understand how it’s a critical time for the UK power sector.

“As the onus moves from finite resources towards renewables, more companies such as Drax Power, have demand for flexible and secure spaces for their teams of experts on-site.”

Darren Walker, re-powering project head at Drax, added: “By upgrading and reusing some of our existing infrastructure to use gas, instead of coal we will be able to provide more capacity, stability and essential grid services. This is a cost-effective way of delivering lower carbon generation.

“We currently have more than 500 contractors on site, and this facility has afforded us extra space to keep on site the huge number of people required to keep Drax Power Station running efficiently to provide enough electricity for six million homes.”