The faux green scam operating as the Drax power plant in Yorkshire has long been on my disdained list.
The very real fact that Drax is purchasing vast tracts of old growth primary forests in British Columbia and elsewhere around the world to clear cut, makes me weep. This is anything but “renewable.”
The email which delivered the following article to my inbox today was aptly titled, “Paid to Pollute.”
Drax, Britain’s biggest power station, is in line for £31bn of green cash that may do little to curb emissions
By Ben Webster • 28 October 2022 • Published by openDemocracy
Drax Power Station, with Eggborough in the distance, North Yorkshire, UK. Under the funding mechanism proposed by the government for a controversial new 'bioenergy with carbon capture and storage' deal, the power station could receive a public subsidy worth billions even if it releases much of its carbon emissions into the air | Paul White - UK Industries / Alamy Stock Photo
The owner of Britain’s biggest power station could receive billions of pounds in green subsidies for a flagship ‘carbon capture’ project even if much of the carbon ends up being released into the atmosphere, openDemocracy can reveal.
Drax’s project at its North Yorkshire power station is supposed to remove CO2 from the atmosphere by burning wood, capturing the carbon and storing it under the North Sea.
But under the funding mechanism proposed by the government, Drax could still claim subsidies for burning wood to generate power even if the carbon capture part of the project fails to work as promised.
Drax currently receives more than £800m a year for generating electricity from burning wood pellets without capturing any of the emissions. Those subsidies are due to end in 2027 and environmental groups hoped that would curtail pellet burning, which they say can release more CO2 than burning coal. But the groups fear the new mechanism could allow Drax to carry on polluting the atmosphere for many more years.
Electricity from Drax’s biomass burning is classified as renewable because it says the pellets come from forests which are “actively managed” to absorb and store more carbon. Scientists and environmental groups, however, question the company’s claims, saying replacement trees take a long time to grow, cutting down forests destroys biodiversity, and importing pellets is emissions-intensive.
Drax makes even bolder claims for its “bioenergy with carbon capture and storage” (BECCS) project, saying it will not just produce renewable power but deliver “negative emissions essential for fighting the climate crisis”.
Under the funding mechanism, proposed in a consultation by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Drax would receive one subsidy for the electricity generated by burning wood pellets and a second subsidy for capturing carbon emitted in the process.
The plan, which Drax had demanded to ensure “revenue certainty”, would permit the company to keep earning the electricity subsidy at times when it was unable to capture and store carbon.
But some fear this could mean the carbon capture aspect of the deal ends up being sidelined, with the result that emissions-intensive biomass is burnt without restriction, unless receipt of the electricity subsidy is pegged to a minimum level of carbon capture.
Carbon capture
Drax says the BECCS project will remove “up to 95% of the CO2” emitted when burning wood pellets and make it a “carbon negative” company by 2030.
But similar promises made about the handful of carbon capture plants built to date worldwide have repeatedly been broken. The Boundary Dam carbon capture power plant in Canada was supposed to capture up to 90% of CO2 emissions, but captured only 44% over several months last year because of technical problems.
Environmental groups are calling on the government to set much tighter conditions that would force Drax to deliver on its carbon negative promise by making any subsidies for BECCS contingent upon the project capturing 95% of the CO2.
Many more wildlife and carbon-rich forests in regions such as North Carolina, British Columbia and Estonia face being cut down as a result
Almuth Ernsting, Biofuelwatch
BEIS refused to respond directly when asked by openDemocracy if it would require Drax to capture a minimum level of CO2 to receive any subsidy and, if so, what that level would be.
A BEIS spokesperson said: “The government will set out further details of the business model [for supporting BECCS] in due course.”
Almuth Ernsting of Biofuelwatch, which opposes subsides for Drax’s BECCS scheme, said: “We fear that BEIS’s proposal is a thinly disguised offer to allow Drax to use claims about BECCS in order to obtain huge new subsidies well beyond 2027 regardless of whether they capture any CO2.
“If BEIS goes ahead with those plans, many more wildlife and carbon-rich forests in regions such as North Carolina, British Columbia and Estonia face being cut down as a result, harming climate biodiversity and communities living near those forests and near polluting pellet mills.”
Phil MacDonald, chief operating officer of climate think tank Ember, said BEIS’s proposal for subsidising BECCS had “loopholes big enough to drive a truck through”.
He added: “The limited trials of carbon capture and storage so far reveal a track record of intermittency. Coal plants with CCS at Kemper County in the USA and Boundary Dam in Canada have been able to capture their emissions for as little as half the time the power plants are operating. The UK government must not repeat this mistake with further subsidies for biomass.
“Recent science shows burning wood for power cannot be assumed to be carbon neutral, and risks [causing] emissions higher than coal.
“Before the government commits to long term subsidy, Drax must prove it can capture all its emissions, and demonstrate it has a low-risk, genuinely low-carbon source for its biomass within the UK – not imported global forests.”
Ember calculated in a report last year that Drax’s BECCS plant could cost British energy bill payers £31.7bn in subsidies over 25 years, or £500 a household. (It is not known how much of this would relate solely to electricity generation, and how much to carbon capture.)
Drax said government support for BECCS would be subject to “strict eligibility criteria and if progress can be demonstrated on delivery of both the power BECCS project and the associated CO2 transport and storage network”.
It added: “First-of-its-kind BECCS power is best supported using a two-part business model that values power and negative emissions separately, so as to maximise the outputs of both and ensure any market risks are appropriately accounted for.”
This month BBC Panorama reported that Drax was cutting down rare, old-growth forest in Canada to make wood pellets.
Drax said 80% of the material used to make its pellets in Canada was “sawmill residues” and the rest was “waste material collected from the forests which would otherwise be burned to reduce the risk of wildfires and disease”.
I highly recommend watching the BBC Panorama programme about Drax which was aired 3rd October.
BBC Panorama: The Green Energy Scandal Exposed The wood-burning Drax power station in Yorkshire provides 12 per cent of the UK’s renewable energy. It has already received £6 billion in green energy subsidies from the government. But are the wood pellets the power station burns really as sustainable as the company claims?
Reporter Joe Crowley investigates where the wood comes from and uncovers an environmental scandal. He reveals how Drax is chopping down trees and taking logs from some of the world’s most precious forests.
It is noted that the emissions from burning wood pellets are far worse than burning coal.
The depth and breadth of the demonstrable abject lies spouted by Dr. Alan Knight, OBE, Group Director of Sustainability for Drax makes me very angry.
If you are registered for BBC iPlayer you can watch the programme here. Alternatively, you can watch The Green Energy Scandal Exposed on Odysee or on YouTube per the video below.
It is interesting to note that Dr. Knight “created and chaired the Ebola Private Sector Mobilisation Group, which was a collaboration of over 100 companies sharing best practice and coordinating the corporate respond to Ebola in West Africa. For this he was made a Clinton Global Citizen honouree in 2015.” Source: Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership profile.
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The CBC’s Fifth Estate conducted their own investigation into the Drax, Pinnacle operations in British Columbia and the UK.
Amid the ongoing fight to protect British Columbia’s forests, The Fifth Estate investigates how the province has become a leading exporter of wood pellets that are burned to fuel energy needs in the U.K., Japan and South Korea. The industry is billed as “green” and “renewable,” but many scientists disagree and activists say Canada has made a mistake in supporting the industry. Read more here: https://www.cbc.ca/1.6606921
I highly recommend watching The Fifth Estate’s report which delves more deeply into the political corruption on the ground in British Columbia. It is notable that Diane Nicholls, who was a senior staff member of B.C.’s Ministry of Forests and was recently appointed by Drax as VP of Sustainability in North America, refused to be interviewed by The Fifth Estate.
During the Fifth Estate report, Bob Simpson, the Mayor of Quesnel, B.C. commented:
“The greenwashing of the pellet industry needs to stop. We need to see it for what it is. It is a money-making machine for a few people based on subsidies [paid for by us!] in the UK at the expense of British Columbia.”
This is the press release issued when Diane Nicholls was welcomed into her new executive role with Drax.
Diane Nicholls, a Canadian forester with over 25 years’ experience in forestry and sustainability will lead Drax’s North American biomass sustainability strategy.
The former Chief Forester for British Columbia is joining the renewable energy company and will work with its teams to ensure the biomass it supplies meets the highest sustainability standards and expectations – balancing the need for forestry stewardship, with positive community and climate outcomes.
Diane’s extensive expertise will be invaluable in the role of VP for Sustainability in North America, as Drax increases sustainable biomass supply and advances the carbon removal technology bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to support the global transition to net zero
Prior to the role at Drax, Diane was Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Forester for the province of British Columbia, where she was responsible for setting the Allowable Annual Cut across more than 50 million hectares of public forest in BC.
She has also led the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Strategy, helped deliver a record tree planting program, introduced collaboration with First Nations in the timber supply review process and incorporated carbon modelling and habitat supply.
Diane will report into and work closely with Drax Group’s Director of Sustainability, Dr Alan Knight to implement and advance the company’s global sustainability plan, ensuring Drax’s biomass delivers positive outcomes for the climate, nature and people while driving the highest sustainability standards across the industry.
Drax’s Group Director of Sustainability Dr Alan Knight said:
“I’m excited to welcome Diane to the Drax team – Diane has over 25 years’ experience in forestry and sustainability in Canada and understands the complex and diverse needs of forestry stewardship, including protection of specific areas, preventing wildfires and disease and supporting local communities.
“Sustainability is at the heart of what we do, and Diane’s knowledge and expertise will be invaluable – helping to drive our work in North America and ensuring our biomass delivers positive outcomes for people, nature and the climate. Biomass has a growing role to play globally in displacing fossil fuels and with BECCS to remove carbon emissions and enable the global transition to a low-carbon future.”
Diane will work with teams across the company to develop Drax’s biomass feedstocks in North America, ensuring they meet the highest sustainability requirements, transparency and expectations of stakeholders, including the government, First Nations and NGOs.
Diane Nicholls said:
“Forests have a vital role to play in meeting global climate targets and it’s crucial that forest management is science-based as well as focused on the diverse needs of the communities living in and around them.
“Sound forest management is also our best tool for enhancing wildlife habitat, ensuring clean water, contributing to carbon sequestration and supporting the local communities with jobs and economic opportunities. I look forward to advancing my work around forestry stewardship with Drax.”
Diane is a Registered Professional Forester. Her research has included rare and endangered species, ecosystem-based management and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
A more realistic commentary of the situation with Nicholls was expressed in the following article published by Policynote.
At mid-afternoon on Monday (April 4), senior staff at British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests were told that one of their highest-ranking members—the province’s chief forester, Diane Nicholls—was entering the revolving door that would sweep her seamlessly out of government employ and into the industry her ministry regulates.
“Diane is leaving us to further her work in sustainable forestry in the private sector in the role of VP Sustainability for North America with Drax,” Rick Manwaring, the ministry’s deputy minister, said in an email to 30 of his colleagues, adding that Drax “is a United Kingdom-based energy, carbon capture and pellet company and is establishing its presence in both the US and Canada.”
Whether Manwaring himself chose those words or was assisted in drafting them by government communications staff is unknown.
But what can be said is that his email either deliberately or unintentionally downplayed what Drax is or what its “presence” means for BC’s forests—which are overwhelmingly publicly owned, yet have become corporate fiefdoms under the leadership of one provincial chief forester after another and the political leaders they report to.
Here’s three things Manwaring didn’t say about Drax:
Drax operates the world’s largest wood-fired thermal electricity plant, a UK-based operation that consumes an astronomical 10 million tonnes of wood pellets a year. Since the UK’s forests are entirely incapable of producing enough wood to satisfy the plant’s needs, Drax must get all its critical raw material from elsewhere.
Almost one year ago, Drax established a near-monopoly in BC when it bought up the assets of Pinnacle Renewable Energy, thereby gaining full or partial control of half the province’s wood pellet mills. In just its first year of gaining that dominant position, its share of wood pellets exported from BC skyrocketed.
Drax claims that the wood pellets it burns come from “residual” sources, in particular the massive amounts of wood chips created at lumber mills when round logs are converted to rectangular lumber products. But in truth, massive numbers of whole trees are being ground directly into wood pellets at BC pellet mills owned by Drax, accelerating deforestation in a province running short of trees to cut down. Worse, wood pellet making generates very few direct jobs while making a product that is then burned at significant cost to our already seriously stressed climate. And here’s something Manwaring didn’t say about Nicholls. Two years ago she chose to be in an industry-funded video extolling the virtues of wood pellets.
The video was produced by the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. In it, Nicholls makes the same claims promoted by her future employer—that wood pellets are part of the “circular” forest industry where wood waste from one operation becomes the critical feedstock for another.
“When you look at pellet production in British Columbia, it’s part of building that circular economy in the forest sector. It uses residuals from sawmill production that may not be used otherwise and it also is starting to use harvest residuals that we know is not being used currently. And that is a win, because it’s something that is an added value for the benefits of British Columbians.”
Video footage and photographs from three pellet mills show huge numbers of whole logs piled up.
But what Nicholls says next is most telling:
“What I see the pellet producers doing is opening our minds in BC by utilizing parts of the tree that currently aren’t necessarily used always. And being able to find a manufacturing potential for that fibre and find a market for that manufactured product as in pellets and be able to add value to the economy of British Columbia, without impacting how much we harvest in any way, shape or form.”
Clearly, however, this is not the case. Video footage and photographs from three pellet mills show huge numbers of whole logs piled up at facilities in Burns Lake, Smithers and Houston—facilities all once owned by Pinnacle and now by Drax.
Moreover, as chief forester in 2017, Nicholls noted that in the Prince George area of BC alone, logging companies delivered an estimated 2.4 million cubic metres of logs to wood pellet mills and pulp and paper mills over the preceding five years. Many of those logs were then turned directly into wood pellets rather than the pellet industry doing as it says it does—utilizing “waste” or “residual” wood from the sawmill industry.
When Len Vanderstar, a retired professional forester and professional biologist who worked in various positions with the provincial government, saw the Nicholls video he said he and other former government employees were uncomfortable.
“Myself and some others questioned the perception of a conflict of interest,” Vanderstar said when contacted by phone following Manwaring’s announcement.
Michelle Connolly, director of Conservation North, a Prince George-based group that seeks to protect the interior region’s remaining primary forests (those forests not yet subject to industrial logging) said she was concerned by Nicholls’ pending move from government to one of the world’s top wood pellet users. She is particularly concerned given evidence that tracts of primary forest in the region have been purpose-logged to make pellets.
“Do movements like this facilitate the regulatory capture we see in BC, where policies and programs made by government are ultimately authored by the industry?” she asks.
Regulatory capture refers to situations where a government regulator tasked with promoting the public interest instead promotes the interests of the very industry it is meant to oversee. A common feature of captured regulators is the revolving door that Nicholls has entered. It’s a portal that many of her predecessors in other provincial entities such as the Oil and Gas Commission have already passed through and many more likely will. And it raises questions about whose interests are really being served as publicly owned resources are effectively managed out of existence.
Nicholls’ pending move from government to industry comes at a pivotal moment. A fight over the last of what remains of the province’s old-growth forests is underway, following a government announcement last year to “defer” logging in a portion of those old-growth or primary forests that remain.
At the same time, the pellet industry needs access to a whole lot more such forests if its operations are to be propped up. In letting his colleagues know about Nicholl’s pending departure, Manwaring said that Nicholls was leaving the ministry in good shape to continue its work of “caring” for BC’s forests.
Based on recent experience, it looks like care will equate to a whole lot more trees becoming pellets to be burned.
These money and power hungry monsters are destroying huge tracts of old growth forests along with flora, fauna and ecosystems under the false guise of allegedly helping to “save the planet.”
This ecocide is of course the exact opposite of “sustainable” forest management.
