Drax has approved a £40 million investment plan and appointed the key contractor for the first stage of its pioneering Net Zero ambitions to be delivered in 2022.
Its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage project is set to clean up the huge power station even further, following its switch from coal to biomass.
And it will become a vital anchor for the huge pan-Humber ambition to transform heavy industry’s pollution profile in the region - stopping harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere and burying them beneath the near North Sea.
Read more: Humber has 'never had such a compelling narrative securing unprecedented levels of investment'
It was signed off as Worley was selected to begin the front-end engineering and design work in the new year. It may also appoint the company on the subsequent design and build phases of the BECCS project.
Work on the development consent order began in March, with the aim of securing it from the government in 2024, then commissioning in 2027.
Will Gardiner, Drax Group chief executive, 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 海角视频 reach its net zero targets, as well as creating and protecting thousands of jobs and kickstarting a new green economy.”
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Drax will also begin site preparation work across its North Yorkshire power station, including relocation and decommissioning tasks to make space.
Worley is a global provider of professional project and asset services, delivering engineering, procurement and construction, as well as consulting services for the energy, chemicals and resources sectors around the world - from headquarters in Australia.
Chris Ashton, Worley chief executive, said: “We are pleased that 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.”
Drax will capture and permanently lock away at least eight million tonnes of CO2 a year, exceeding the government’s ambition to deliver five million tonnes of negative emissions from engineered removals each year by 2030, as outlined in the recently published Net Zero Strategy.
The switch from coal to biomass has already reduced emissions there by 90 per cent, with spin-off projects to also use the captured carbon in further industrial processes.
The announcement follows Drax’s summer selection of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group as technology partner. To deliver, it has set itself a target to source 80 per cent of the construction materials and services from the 海角视频 - supply chain contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
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