The UK’s Drax Power Station was a 1,980 megawatt coal-burning power station when commissioned in 1975. By 1986, its capacity had doubled to 6 units. This made it the country’s largest carbon-dioxide emitter. However there was too much money invested in it to simply shut it down. Moreover it produces 6% of the UK’s energy.
Drax Power Station Starts Burning Biomass in 2010
Drax Power began burning experimental biomass fuel instead of coal in 2010. Two years later, it announced plans to convert 3 units to solely biomass-burning ones. The conversion was complete by 2016.
Drax Power converted a 4th unit to biomass in 2018. It then announced plans to convert the remaining 2 units to 3.6 GW closed-cycle gas turbine units. These units would have 200MW battery storage for instant start up. When this work is complete Drax Power Station will have made the transition from fossil to semi-green. However it will still be pumping out CO2 greenhouse gases.
First European Carbon-Dioxide Capture Project at Drax
Drax Power Station burns 7 million tons of wood chips each year it imports from the United States and Canada. It is currently learning how to capture 1 ton a day of carbon-dioxide from the burning chips. These are baby steps, but at least it is a start.
Forests absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. You can call it their fuel if you like. Therefore burning their wood is a carbon-neutral event. However, if we succeed in capturing this carbon we reduce greenhouse gases slightly. This makes the experiment at Drax Power Station a global event.
Drax is co-piloting the experiment with Leeds University. They plan to ‘drizzle’ a chemical in the amine group down the flue gas chimney. This absorbs the carbon-dioxide but they can extract it later and recycle the amine. The project is controversial, but still one to watch in terms of taming coal.
Related
Making Drax Power Station Somewhat Greener
Sawing Off the Branch We Sit On
Preview Image: Drax Power Station Cooling Towers
