Drax has announced bold plans to become a carbon negative business by 2030.
The northern energy giant, which has a power station near Selby in North Yorkshire, has become the first company in the world to set the ambitious target.
The commitment means Drax will aim to remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces through its energy generation operations.
Drax is already running a carbon capture pilot project at its power station, and is capturing a tonne of carbon dioxide every day.
Its work has received backing from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has said carbon capture, storage and usage will be a necessary technology if the UK is to become net-zero carbon by 2050.
Will Gardiner, CEO at Drax Group, said: “Drax’s ambition is to be carbon negative by 2030.
“Having pioneered the use of sustainable biomass, Drax now produces 12 per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity. With the right negative emissions policy, we can do much more, removing millions of tonnes of emissions from the atmosphere each year.
“The UK Government is working on a policy and investment framework to encourage negative emissions technologies, which will enable the UK to be home to the world’s first carbon negative company.
“This is not just critical to beating the climate crisis, but also to enabling a just transition, protecting jobs and creating new opportunities for clean growth – delivering for the economy as well as for the environment.”
Four of Drax’s six generating units at its Yorkshire power station now produce energy by burning wood pellets rather than coal.
Drax has said combining its biomass operations with carbon capture and storage technology could help the energy giant catch 16 million tonnes of CO2 every year.
In recent years, Drax has undergone a major transformation, becoming Europe’s largest decarbonisation project by converting two-thirds of its coal-fired power station to use sustainable biomass.
After closing its remaining two coal generating units at Drax Power Station by 2025 and using carbon capture technology on its biomass power generating units, the company said its operations would become carbon negative by 2030.
Drax’s future plans are not hurdle-free however.
Biomass power subsidies currently received by Drax will expire in 2027. The company is therefore currently working to find ways to reduce the cost of its biomass generation, to make it sustainable without financial support.
Drax is also a member of the Zero Carbon Humber campaign.
Working alongside Equinor and National Grid Ventures, the campaign looks to develop a zero-carbon industrial cluster along the Humber.
Mr Gardiner said: “The race to cut carbon emissions is one we can win.
“This plan sets out a clear blueprint of how to get the Humber to net zero – the impact of decarbonising the most carbon intensive region in the country will make a major contribution to the UK reaching its world-leading climate goals.
“We need to seize this opportunity. Zero starts here.”
