Back to list Drax Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage Project

Representation by Robert Palgrave

Date submitted
5 August 2022
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses
  1. The proposal is not sustainable development as defined in the National Planning Policy Framework , since it is not compatible with increasing productivity, supporting communities’ health, protecting our natural environment or improving biodiversity. 2. There is a risk to human health from the amine chemicals which Drax is planning to use to separate the CO2 from the other flue gases. These amines can form other compounds when they are emitted, including nitrosamines and nitramines which are possible carcinogens [Redacted] . Yorkshire and Humberside already have high levels of air pollution [Redacted], and there is a lack of research into the impacts of these chemicals on public health. 3. Carbon capture will reduce the net efficiency of the biomass boilers at Drax to just 28.5% because 28% of the energy generated will be used to capture and compress CO2. By decreasing electricity generation, either more biomass would have to be burnt to generate the same amount of electricity, OR more fossil gas would need to be burned in other power stations. This is contrary to the Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy’s commitment to reduce energy from fossil fuels. 4. The climate impacts of bioenergy arise from two distinct causes. Firstly the combustion or 'biogenic' emissions - the carbon dioxide emitted from the power station chimneys. Secondly the 'non-biogenic' emissions produced by the various stages of the processing to produce the bioenergy fuel. In the case of Drax power station, the fuel production processes that produce 'non-biogenic' emissions are the cutting of trees, the transport of timber to a pellet plant, the conversion of timber into wood pellets, and the transport of pellets from North America and other foreign countries to the UK. In total these non-biogenic emissions are not insignificant and they will not be 'neutralised' by the proposed carbon capture process as they don't emit to atmosphere through the power station chimney. Adding CCS makes this worse - the efficiency penalty arising from the use of carbon capture means that more pellets have to be produced in order to generate the same amount of electricity. This worsens the carbon intensity of Drax's non-biogenic emissions, which will persist even if carbon capture is made to work. Further, it should be noted that the carbon capture process will never be 100% effective, meaning there will also always be residual biogenic emissions. The consequence is that post CCS, Drax will still be emitting biogenic emissions and will be causing non-biogenic emissions. BECCS at Drax cannot by itself be (anywhere near) zero carbon. 5. Drax’s Ecology Report for the project states that this development will lead to the degradation and destruction of a number of internationally, nationally and locally important habitats where ecological surveys found rare and protected species, including orchids, water voles, otters, Great Crested Newts and many species of birds.