Drax to invest £40m in next phase of major carbon capture scheme
Energy business Drax says it plans capital investments of around £40m at its North Yorkshire power station during 2022 on the first phase of its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project.
The spending is to ensure the power station remains on track to begin delivering negative emissions technology in 2027.
As part of this investment, Drax has selected Worley to begin the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) work at the start of 2022 and may also work with the company on the subsequent design and build phases of the BECCS project – subject to contract.
Drax will also start site preparation works for BECCS across its power station, including relocation and decommissioning work to make space for the project.
Worley is a global provider of professional project and asset services. It delivers engineering, procurement and construction, as well as consulting services for the energy, chemicals and resources sectors around the world.
BECCS is seen as an essential technology to tackle climate change with the project at Drax set to capture and permanently lock away at least eight million tonnes of CO2 a year.
This exceeds the Government’s ambition to deliver 5Mt of negative emissions from engineered removals each year by 2030, as outlined in the recently published Net Zero Strategy.
Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax
Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said: “Our investment in BECCS and the signing of this contract with Worley demonstrates Drax’s commitment to deliver a vital technology which is urgently needed to address the climate crisis.
“It’s no longer enough to reduce emissions – the world has got to start removing carbon from the atmosphere if we are to avert this climate crisis.
“The Government’s ambition for BECCS and its backing for the East Coast Cluster further demonstrates the vital role this negative emissions technology at Drax can play in helping the UK reach its net zero targets, as well as creating and protecting thousands of jobs and kickstarting a new green economy.”
Chris Ashton, Worley CEO, added: “As a global professional services company headquartered in Australia, we are pleased Drax has engaged Worley in this important carbon capture project.
“Our partnership with Drax is one of the ways we’re helping our customers adapt existing assets and decarbonize industrial clusters, whilst also supporting Worley’s strategic focus on sustainability and delivering a more sustainable world.”
The latest announcement follows Drax’s decision in the summer to partner with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group as its technology partner.
Drax has already kickstarted the planning process to deploy BECCS at its power station. If successful, the business says work could get underway to build BECCS at Drax as soon as 2024, with the creation of thousands of jobs.
