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The UK’s largest power station will reach a key decarbonisation milestone next month, a year after the plant was ranked the UK’s dirtiest in terms of carbon emissions.
The generator said that in the next month the plant – which provides 7-8 per cent of the UK’s power – will save its 20 millionth tonne of carbon since began the process of converting its coal-fired power units to burning biomass.
By the end of 2017 the plant expects to reach its 50 millionth carbon tonne saving, it said.
The plant first began using biomass in place of coal around ten years ago but in 2014 was still ranked the UK’s dirtiest power generator by the Climate Action Network. The plant was ranked the sixth largest polluter in Europe in the same study.
But ahead of the third unit conversion from coal to biomass chief executive Dorothy Thompson said the generator is now Europe’s “largest decarbonisation project”.
“In a relatively short period of time Drax has delivered major carbon savings, while continuing to provide reliable, secure and good value renewable power,” Thompson said.
“This data also gives an indication of the scale of the contribution sustainable biomass will make to meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets. Drax is already Europe’s largest decarbonisation project, and we believe that there is potential for significant additional carbon savings through the conversion of further units,” she added.
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