Drax to trial capturing carbon from biomass generation

UK power generator Drax Group Plc (LON:DRX) said Sunday it will pilot bioenergy carbon capture storage (BECCS) technology at its power station in North Yorkshire, where three of the units have been converted to use biomass.

According to the company, this will be the first BECCS project of its kind in Europe.

Drax will invest GBP 400,000 (USD 537,000/EUR 456,000) in the initiative, which is an early pilot for technology developed by C-Capture, a spin-out from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Leeds.

After an initial phase starting this month and a feasibility study, a demonstration unit will be installed in the autumn to capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by burning the biomass.

Drax said the project could make the renewable electricity produced at its plant carbon negative.

"If the world is to achieve the targets agreed in Paris and pursue a cleaner future, negative emissions are a must – and BECCS is a leading technology to help achieve it," commented chief executive Will Gardiner.

(GBP 1 = USD 1.342/EUR 1.1405)

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