Britain’s Drax Power Station, a part of Drax Group, is seeking approval from planning authorities to develop a gas generation and battery storage project in the UK.
Image: Maintenance in turbine hall at Drax Power Station in the UK. Photo: courtesy of Drax Group Plc.
The firm has submitted an application to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for its Repower gas generation and battery storage project.
The project involves construction of new 3.6GW gas-fired power plant along with 200MW battery storage facility at the company’s existing Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire.
The Drax Power Station was originally a 3.96GW coal-fired power plant built in Drax which featured six units of 660MW each.
As operator, Drax had already upgraded three of the six coal-fired units to run on biomass while the fourth unit is being converted to sustainable biomass.
Drax is now seeking permission to convert its remainder coal-fired units to run on gas.
Drax Power CEO Andy Koss said: “With our gas Repower plans and the conversion of a fourth generating unit this summer to use biomass instead of coal, we intend to extend the life of the plant, protect jobs and deliver the flexible and reliable power millions of households and businesses need.
“Working with the communities local to the power station has been an integral part of the process. The Repower project could secure the future of the power station beyond 2025 when the government says coal must come off the system.”
The upgrade, upon completion, is expected to enhance Drax’s ability to provide more capacity, stability and essential grid services required by the country as coal power stations are slated to be retired by 2025 in the UK.
Drax earlier said that the conversion of the coal power units and the development of the battery storage facility are subject to a positive investment decision and will require the support of a 15-year capacity market contract.