Medical and Hospital News
BIO FUEL
UK halves subsidies for wood-burning power station
UK halves subsidies for wood-burning power station
by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) Feb 10, 2025

The UK government on Monday said it would halve subsidies for the controversial Drax biomass power station that has come under fire for sustainability concerns.

Subsidies for the wood-burning power station in northern England -- a significant producer of electricity in the UK -- will be renewed from 2027, albeit under tighter conditions, a statement said.

Drax has received billions of pounds (dollars) in government subsidies as wood pellets used in its processes are classed as renewable, a claim disputed by environmental groups.

Under the new agreement, Drax will have a "much more limited" role in the UK's energy system, providing power only when it is needed, energy minister Michael Shanks said in the statement.

The previous arrangement "did not deliver a good enough deal for billpayers and enabled Drax to make unacceptably large profits", he added.

A new windfall measure has been added to return a percentage of profits back to consumers if they exceed expected limits.

There are also stricter sustainability measures, requiring the company to use 100-percent sustainable wood or face hefty penalties.

Drax has said that the wood chips burned in its plant are sustainable, assuring that carbon dioxide absorbed by trees as they grow compensates for the gas emitted during combustion.

According to a study published last year by the think tank Ember, Drax is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in the UK.

"Continuing to subsidise huge biomass imports is not a step on the road to a cleaner future, but a dirty compromise with past failures," Greenpeace UK policy director Doug Parr said Monday.

"Trees should be left to grow and not be burnt in a major subsidy-fuelled bonfire," he added.

Shrugging off the hefty reduction in taxpayer help, Drax Group chief executive Will Gardiner welcomed the renewal of subsidies, adding that the group's power station "plays a critical role in UK energy security... with enough reliable power for five million homes".

"Under this proposed agreement, Drax can step in to increase generation when there is not enough electricity, helping to avoid the need to burn more gas or import power from Europe," he said.

Drax last year agreed to pay a penalty of �25 million ($33 million) after British energy watchdog Ofgem found the group reported inaccurate data on the wood it burned.

Related Links
Bio Fuel Technology and Application News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
BIO FUEL
Chemical looping turns environmental waste into fuel
Columbus OH (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
Turning environmental waste into useful chemical resources could solve many of the inevitable challenges of our growing amounts of discarded plastics, paper and food waste, according to new research. In a significant breakthrough, researchers from The Ohio State University have developed a technology to transform materials like plastics and agricultural waste into syngas, a substance most often used to create chemicals and fuels like formaldehyde and methanol. Using simulations to test how w ... read more

BIO FUEL
Iraq's famed 'hunchback' of Mosul rebuilt brick by brick

NASA radar imagery highlights expanding landslide activity in Los Angeles

How China allegedly contributes to the deadly fentanyl crisis

Pentagon chief visits Mexico border as Trump cracks down on migration

BIO FUEL
EUSPA unveils integrated GNSS and secure SATCOM user technology update

GMV to advance the Galileo High Accuracy Service with new data generator

Sierra Space resilient GPS Satellite Program achieves major development milestone

Slingshot Aerospace to enhance USSF technology for GPS jamming and spoofing detection

BIO FUEL
New play takes on OpenAI drama and AI's existential questions

Trump signs order to get 'transgender ideology' out of military

How to Design Humane Autonomous Systems

Three million years ago our ancestors relied on plant-based diets

BIO FUEL
Quantum factors elevate plant energy transport efficiency

Major Investment Urged to Safeguard Australia Wildlife

Global warming makes French reservoir a winter resort for migrating cranes

Climate Change Accelerates Species Shuffling, New Study Reveals

BIO FUEL
A new vaccine approach could help combat future coronavirus pandemics

China says 'extremely unlikely' Covid pandemic came from lab leak

Wuhan keen to shake off pandemic label five years on

China marks muted 5th anniversary of first Covid death

BIO FUEL
Viral Chinese tourist spot stokes nostalgia with staged rural scenes

US charges former Fed official with spying for China

China travel peaks as millions head home for Lunar New Year

UN urges Thailand not to deport Uyghurs to China

BIO FUEL
Fears of scam centre kidnaps keep Chinese tourists on edge in Thailand

Clashes between police, gang leave 11 dead in Brazil

Charred bodies in Ecuador are missing adolescents, say officials

Blast kills two Mexican soldiers, five wounded

BIO FUEL
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.