British Steel and Drax have signed an agreement to explore opportunities for its steel to be used to build the world’s largest multi-billion-pound carbon capture project at the power station.
The signing of the MoU brings together two major British industries to support the development of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, a technology, which it’s claimed could kick-start a whole new sector of the economy and create opportunities for the UK to lead the world in a vital technology required to address global warming.
Through the partnership, Drax and British Steel aim to support efforts to meet the UK’s climate targets and level up the North, whilst supporting skills within the steel sector.
Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said: “We are excited to be partnering with British Steel as we continue to progress our world-leading UK BECCS project. This country has a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the world in vital new green technologies like BECCS, which will not only support thousands of UK jobs, but could also create new export opportunities, whilst helping to tackle the climate crisis.
“We aim to invest billions of pounds, create tens of thousands of jobs and have BECCS operational in the UK by 2030, provided that the UK Government has in place policies to support the feasibility and delivery of negative emissions technologies. BECCS will permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year from as soon as 2027, whilst continuing to generate the reliable, renewable power this country needs.”
BECCS is a critical technology needed to combat global warming because it permanently removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst also generating reliable, renewable electricity.
Drax is ready to invest around £2bn in its plans to build BECCS in the UK. Work could begin as soon as 2024, with the energy company planning to source up to 80% of the materials and services it needs for the project from British businesses.
Around 13,000 tonnes of steel will be required for the major infrastructure project, including beams produced at British Steel’s Scunthorpe and Teesside steel works.
