Representation by Alice Smith
- Date submitted
- 15 August 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to object to Drax’s application to add carbon capture technology to two of its wood-burning units. I am primarily objecting because burning wood in power stations is adding increasingly large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. More than from burning gas, coal of oil. In addition it may take from 44-104 years for replanted trees to absorb the carbon emitted by burning trees. Although BECCS is designed to capture some of this excess carbon its very presence will encourage the widescale deforestation of many more areas of the world, including old growth forest. Although Drax claims to only burn waste materials from wood mills there is evidence that whole trees are being turned into pellets. In some areas, such as British Columbia, economically unviable trees such as oak and hemlock are considered waste and are harvested as such even though from an ecological standpoint they have huge value. According to Drax’s planning document, carbon capture will reduce the net efficiency of the biomass boilers to just 28.49% as 28% of the energy generated by each unit will be needed to capture and compress CO2. By decreasing electricity generation, it is highly likely that this will cause more fossil gas 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. I am also very concerned about the potential harm to human health from the amine chemicals 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 Drax’s Ecology Report) for the project states that this development could 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. The government classes energy from burning trees as ‘low-carbon’ and argues that it can help ‘tackle climate change’. I strongly disagree with this, as do hundreds of scientists. It also appears that recently questions have been raised within government circles as to the sustainability of burning imported wood for energy. In the ‘Needs and Benefits Statement’ it suggests that at its peak, the Drax BECCS plants could support a total of 4,940 direct jobs (i.e. manufacture and installation), 2,120 indirect jobs (i.e. in the supply chain), and 3,240 induced jobs". However, in most of the construction phase the numbers of jobs are significantly lower - in the operation and maintenance phase (2019a to 2050) the figures are 375 direct, 960 indirect and 1,800 induced. The number of jobs rapidly drops from ~ 10,000 to ~3,000 creating a jobs ‘time bomb’ for the area. I urge you to take note of these concerns and refuse permission for Drax’s BECCS application.