Drax given £869million in public subsidies in 2024 thinktank claims

THE controversial Drax power plant was handed £869million in public subsidies last year – equating to £2million a day – for mostly burning forest biomass, a new analysis has suggested.

The wood-burning plant in North Yorkshire – dubbed Britain’s ‘biggest green hoax’ by critics – has benefitted from billions of pounds from the Government over recent years due to imported biomass (wood pellets) being treated as a source of renewable energy.

The power station – a converted coal plant which generates around five per cent of Britain’s electricity – receives subsidies through two routes, Renewables Obligation Certifications (ROCs) and Contract for Difference (CfDs), which are tied to the amount of woody biomass it burns.

A new study of Drax’s 2024 report by climate thinktank, Ember, found the energy firm raked in £869million in subsidies last year – its second highest year for subsidies to date.

The £869million received by Drax equates to more than £2million a day, adding an average of £10 a year to household energy bills, according to Ember’s calculations.

The thinktank added that the overall subsidy figure is made up of £652.6million under the ROC scheme and £216m under the CfD scheme.