Biomass makeover for North Yorks coal plant

Britain’s largest coal-fired power station in North Yorkshire has been unveiled as one of Europe’s biggest renewable electricity generators.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey opened the Drax coal-to-biomass conversion plant, and also announced the government was awarding funding to the White Rose carbon capture and storage project also based at the site.

At Drax, the £700 million planned conversion project will burn wood pellets rather than coal, a move Drax calculates will reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent compared with coal.