Drax and Mitsubishi sign negative emissions deal

The contract will see Drax license MHI’s unique carbon capture solvent, KS-21, to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) at its power station near Selby, North Yorkshire.

The power generator has already converted its power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, reducing its carbon emissions by more than 85%. By deploying bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology, Drax says it aims to go further – potentially becoming carbon negative by 2030. The first BECCS unit at Drax could be operational as soon as 2027, says the company, and capturing and storing at least 8mn tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030. 

The project will combine MHI carbon capture technology with offshore geological storage under the North Sea. Drax has already successfully trialled MHI’s technology in a pilot that started in 2020 to test two of MHI’s proprietary solvents. 

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said: ‘The world urgently needs to move from making climate pledges to taking climate action. Subject to the right regulatory framework being in place, Drax stands ready to invest further in this essential negative emissions technology, which not only permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere but also delivers the reliable, renewable electricity needed for clean, green economic growth.’