Drax and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries sign deal to deliver world’s largest carbon capture power project
Firms hope first unit could be operational by 2027.
Drax Group, UK, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd. (MHI), have agreed a long-term contract for Drax to use its carbon capture technology at its plant in Selby, UK.
The first Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) unit at Drax could be operational as soon as 2027, and potentially support thousands of jobs across the North of England as soon as 2024, and capture and store at least 8 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030.
Drax is the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, having converted its power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, reducing its emissions by more than 85%.
As part of the agreement, MHI plans to locate its core CCS team at the company’s European headquarters in London and explore additional employment opportunities in the UK in future. MHI is also looking at ways to strengthen its supply chain, including the potential production of its proprietary solvent in the UK.
Commenting, Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO said, 'Carbon capture technologies like BECCS are going to be absolutely vital in the fight against the climate crisis. Subject to the right regulatory framework being in place, Drax stands ready to invest further in this essential negative emissions technology, which not only permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere but also delivers the reliable, renewable electricity needed for clean, green economic growth.'
