Yahoo Finance Britain’s biggest renewable power station faces further claim of greenwashing
Britain’s biggest renewable power station cannot prove it is burning wood from sustainable sources despite receiving billions of pounds in taxpayer handouts, the Government’s audit body has said.
The Drax plant in Selby, North Yorkshire, receives subsidies to help generate 6pc of Britain’s electricity, which it achieves by burning 7m tonnes of wood a year.
Drax has claimed that the wood is sourced sustainably, although the National Audit Office (NAO) has sought to question this: “The Government cannot demonstrate that its current arrangements are adequate to give it confidence that industry is meeting sustainability standards.”
Gareth Davies, head of the watchdog, said: “If biomass is going to play a key role in the transition to net zero, the Government needs to be confident that the industry is meeting high sustainability standards.
“However, the Government has been unable to demonstrate its current assurances are adequate to provide confidence in this regard,” Davies added.
The scrutiny follows last week’s triumph for Drax after Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho approved a scheme to bolt two carbon capture plants onto its four generating units, potentially stripping out almost all their CO2 emissions.
Drax claims the scheme will allow it to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it produces – making it the world’s first carbon-negative thermal power station.
Green activists claim it will destroy forests and cost consumers billions of pounds.
However, Drax’s sustainability claims are also under investigation by energy regulator Ofgem, which last May opened an enforcement case to examine how it was reporting the data used to calculate green subsidies.
Biomass power stations are currently subject to a consultation into the role of subsidies, with Ms Coutinho planning to extend the scheme until the 2030s.
A Drax spokesperson said all its wood is sourced sustainably: “We fully support the review process and look forward to working with the Government on this. It’s essential that sustainability reporting and criteria are robust and fit for purpose.
“We are committed to ensuring the biomass we source delivers positive outcomes for the climate, for nature and for the communities in which we operate.”
However, Greenpeace UK’s policy director Dr Doug Parr said that burning trees could never be sustainable: “The NAO is unconvinced that the enormous flow of subsidies to Drax are doing the job they’re intended for – cutting carbon emissions.
“We would go further – investigations into the sources of Drax’s fuel indicate that on lifecycle analysis, it may be higher carbon than fossil-fuelled power stations, as well as causing ecological damage, and the review the NAO are calling for would demonstrate this.”
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero made clear it would continue to support biomass burning. A spokesman said: “Our stringent sustainability criteria are in line with internationally recognised standards.
“Biomass will provide a key role in a more secure, clean energy sector. It delivered 9pc of the UK’s total energy supply in 2022, with generators only legally receiving subsidies if they proved they have complied with our strict rules.”
Mark Sommerfeld, a director at the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, said biomass will continue to have an important role to play in delivering net zero.
He said: “Sustainability is and must always be at the heart of using any bioresources, so while it’s right to keep this under regular review, the existing criteria developed by the Government provides a strong basis for moving forward.”
