Drax Moves from Coal to Gas and Battery Storage

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The owner of one of the U.K.'s largest operating coal-fired plants has lodged plans to convert two of the remaining coal-fired units to gas.

Drax Group plc (LSE:DRX) (Selby, England) has confirmed that planning has been lodged with the country's Planning Inspectorate for two gas-fired units with a combined generating capacity of 3.6 gigawatts (GW). The company has already converted three of the six units to biomass at the Drax Power Station in Selby, North Yorkshire, but sees gas as the way forward for securing the plant's future. In July, Industrial Info reported on Drax's then plans for converting just one unit to gas. For additional information, see July 24, 2017, article - Drax Plans Gas Conversion at U.K. Coal-Fired Plant.

As part of the plans Drax also is proposing to build the world's largest battery storage project, which will be 200 megawatts (MW). The projects are subject to a positive investment decision, Drax stated, and would need to be underpinned by a 15-year capacity market contract from the U.K. government.

"We are at the start of the planning process, but if developed these options for gas and battery storage show how Drax could upgrade our existing infrastructure to provide capacity, stability and essential grid services, as we do with biomass," explained Andy Koss, chief executive officer of Drax Power. "This would continue to keep costs low for consumers and help to deliver Government's commitment to remove coal from the U.K. grid. Drax Power Station is a national asset and a significant driver of economic growth in the north of England. These options could repurpose up to two of our coal assets and extend their operation into the 2030s."

He added: "We have always supported and worked with our local communities and want to ensure they have a role in shaping our thinking. We will undertake a comprehensive programme of local consultation and engagement over the coming months to share our options with the public and listen to their views."

In the planning application, Drax said it is hoping to get the green light to repower "either one or both of Drax units 5 and 6...to gas using two new gas turbines, a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and cooling systems." The capacity of each gas unit would be up to 1,800 MW. There will also be a need for a new gas connection, entering the eastern side of the existing station.

The company also is looking at converting Unit 4 to biomass. The existing three biomass-fired units account for 70% of the electricity Drax produces and represent 16% of the U.K.'s total renewable power.

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