In an opinion editorial for The Times on Friday (18 October 2024), Coutinho said that she no longer supported the power station’s expansion plans.
In January this year, Coutinho – who was secretary of state for energy security and net zero at the time – approved Drax’s plans to convert two of its biomass units to the carbon removals technology bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
BECCS technology allows for the CO2 released by the creation of bioenergy from biomass to be captured and stored.
Coutinho said that at the time she faced “enormous pressure” to approve the plans, but that as time has passed the case for the technology had “simply unravelled”.
Drax has labelled the Conservative Party’s withdrawal of support as “reckless and irresponsible”.
Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax, said: “It is deeply disappointing that they now care more about political point scoring than the country’s ongoing energy security and ability to meet net zero.
“In government, the party acknowledged the key role Drax Power Station, the country’s largest source of renewable power, plays in keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.
“As secretary of state for DESNZ, Claire Coutinho’s name is on the planning approval for Drax’s plans for BECCS at the Selby site. The decision letter clearly stated that the project will support the transition to net zero by 2050.
“Her comments will upset Drax Power Station colleagues who work tirelessly to power the UK. It will also lead to concerns across our country-wide supply chain and among other UK based biomass generators.
“Our priority is working in partnership with the government who is focused on safeguarding the UK’s energy security and delivering net zero.”
Gardiner’s position was echoed by the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA).
Mark Sommerfeld, deputy director of policy at the REA, added: “The assertions made by Claire Coutinho today are counter to the science-based scenarios for achieving a secure, affordable, and decarbonised power system. The need for sustainable biomass and in turn, BECCS, has been repeatedly recognised by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC). It was also the last Conservative government who highlighted its critical importance in their 2023 Biomass Strategy.
“The ability for biomass to deliver carbon removals in the form of BECCS is critical to achieving net zero. Last year the government’s chief scientific officer for DESNZ concluded that that there is no scientific reason as to why BECCS cannot be delivered sustainably in the UK. We already know we’re likely to need 44-112 MtCO₂ of engineered removals per year by 2050 to meet net zero, and the CCC’s balanced pathway sees BECCS facilities delivering a large proportion of these as one of the most advanced and ready to deploy solutions.”
Waste wood at Drax Power Station
The Drax Power Station – located in Selby, North Yorkshire – currently has four biomass generating units and produces around 4% of the country’s power and 9% of its renewable electricity.
The organisation has claimed to only use wood which is unsuitable for other products and to avoid felling trees in carbon-locking and primary forests.
A BBC Panorama investigation in 2022 found evidence in Canada that these claims may have been untrue.
In August 2024, the power station was made to pay £25 million in penalty fees after a 15-month Ofgem investigation found that it had “failed to report accurate data on the type of material it burned”.
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