Coal-fired power generation capability has come to an end at Drax with the final two units entering the decommissioning process.
The poignant moment in the plant’s history and the journey to Net Zero comes almost 50 years after fossil fuels were first burned to produce electricity. It had initially planned to end earlier, but was asked by the government to retain the capability through the winter, due to the potential for gas shortages caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They were not required.
It comes as discussions start with Westminster officials over the grand bioenergy with carbon capture and storage plans, having not been selected as a forerunner in the initial Track One announcements. The power giant’s proposal, now paused, is as an anchor project for the pan-Humber network, with £15 billion of investment in decarbonisation and hydrogen fuel-switching linked to it.
