Sun, 09 Feb 2025

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 Key power station didn't properly disclose burning forest wood

The Drax facility, which burns wood pellets, is required to report where it sources its wood from.

* Drax Power Station, which receives billions of pounds in government subsidies, has failed to report that it burned wood from primary forests.
* The company was investigated by Ofgem and paid a £25m penalty last year for misreporting its sustainability data.
* However, the BBC has found further evidence of misreporting, with the company failing to declare wood from primary forests in its 2020-21 sustainability data.
* Drax says it is focused on implementing lessons learned from previous investigations and has reduced its reliance on Canadian wood, but still sources some wood from British Columbia.
* The UK's current biomass sustainability criteria do not prohibit whole trees from primary forests being used for wood pellets.
* Ofgem has said that it will investigate further if more evidence comes to light, but did not commit to specific action.
* Drax's subsidies are set to end in 2027, but the government is expected to announce an extension imminently.
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