Power giant Drax has invested in 30 new rail wagons to deliver greater volumes of biomass to its huge generating plant.
The company, behind renewable power for four million UK homes, commissioned a next generation design to build on the original fleet of 225 - then the first in the world.
Designed by Lloyd’s Register Rail - now Ricardo Rail - and built by WH Davis in Mansfield, the new wagons will each be able to carry 30 per cent more feedstock. It will take the total to 71.6 tonnes, reducing the number of rail journeys required, in doing so making the supply chain more resilient, efficient and lowering emissions.
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The first wagons are expected to roll off the production line early next year and go into operation on the Port of Tyne to Drax route.
Bruce Heppenstall, Drax plant director, said: “Our biomass trains deliver up to 30,000 tonnes of biomass to the power station each day, enabling Drax to power millions of homes and businesses across the UK with reliable, renewable electricity and support energy security.
“It’s therefore vital that we have a robust supply chain and investing in these new wagons will further increase our resilience and cut carbon emissions on our Tyne to Drax rail route by more than a quarter, whilst continuing to support thousands of jobs across the North, including at WH Davis and Davis Wagon Services’ facilities.”
The latter, based in Immingham - one of the feeder ports for the transatlantic forestry residues - opened a dedicated rail yard at Ferrybridge to maintain the fleet in an £850,000 investment back in 2018.
Since it converted two thirds of its power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, Drax has transformed its business to become Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project and the UK’s largest single-site renewable power generator, playing a critical role in energy security. It is also the western anchor for the huge Zero Carbon Humber plan to clean up the industrial cluster, a mission at the forefront of regional thinking, with emissions to be captured and piped to storage under the North Sea.
Each of the new trains will be able to carry sufficient biomass for Drax to generate enough reliable renewable electricity to supply around 800 UK homes for a year.
Jonathan Hamer, managing director of WH Davis, said: “These additional 30 new biomass wagons reflect the strength and depth of the Davis Group, including Davis Wagon Services, to provide a full turnkey solution for customers from manufacture to maintenance. This contract builds on the previous supply to Drax for its unique biomass wagon fleet requirements and shows their confidence in the quality and reliability of the WH Davis product.
“As the only rail freight manufacturer in the UK it is important for us to win such contracts to ensure the continuity of skills within our locally based work force. Drax’s confidence in us allows this to continue and develop.”
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