Drax scraps plans for gas-fired power plant at Selby site to focus on renewable power

Drax has abandoned plans to build a new gas-fired power plant at its site in Selby in North Yorkshire.

The electricity generator announced it will be changing its focus to renewable power in an effort to become carbon negative by 2030, with plans to develop bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.

Drax completed the sale of its existing gas generation plants last month and aims to close its remaining coal units by March.

In a statement, Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group said:

He added: "The proposed acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy will position Drax as the world’s leading sustainable biomass generation and supply business, paving the way for us to develop bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – taking us even further in our decarbonisation."