The U.K. Environment Agency on June 1 announced the opening of a public comment period on Drax Power Ltd.&rsquo;s proposals to develop bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) at Drax Power Station.
Documents filed as part of the consultation explain that Drax is seeking a variation to its environmental permit for Drax Power Station to retrofit and operate post-combustion carbon dioxide capture on up to two of its biomass-fueled generation units. The BECCS project would enable the capture of more than 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year from sustainable biomass sources. Carbon dioxide captured by the post-combustion carbon dioxide capture (PCC) system would be transported to the East Coast Cluster for storage.
Drax has selected the Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery Process (DM-CDR), an amine-based carbon capture process, as the technology to be deployed as part of its proposed BECCS project. In terms of environmental performance, Drax said it&rsquo;s assessments have clearly indicated that air emissions released from the operation of the process should not have any significant impact on human or ecological receptors at the proposed operating limits. Dischargers to water in terms of quality and quantity are not expected to deteriorate, Drax added. The company also noted engineering design has optimized heat and electrical demand from the process without reducing capture efficiency or solvent life cycle.
The U.K. Environment Agency is seeking public input related to relevant environmental regulatory requirements and technical standards; information on local population and sensitive sites; suitability of the technology; the shape and use of land around the site in terms of its potential impact and whether that impact is acceptable and what pollution control or abatement may be required; the impact of noise and odor from traffic on site; and comments related to missing or incorrect information in the application. The agency&rsquo;s consultation process will not address comments related to issues beyond those in the relevant environmental regulations; anything outside the remit of the EPR; whether the site should have a formal designation under Habitats Directive or other conservation legislation; whether the activity should be allowed or not as a matter of principle, including comments on whether wood should be burned for electricity production; land use issues when determining a permit application; the impact of noise and odor from traffic travelling to and from the site; the legally defined process to determine a permit; or the granting of a permit/variation if the operator is able to demonstrate that they can carry out the activity without significant risk to the environment or human health.
The consultation period is open from May 26 through June 29. The consultation includes a drop-in event at Drax Village Hall scheduled for June 6 and a virtual drop-in session scheduled for June 13. The U.K. Environment Agency said these sessions will provide additional details about the application, the agency&rsquo;s decision process and provide opportunities for members of the public to ask questions about Drax Power&rsquo;s plans. After the consultation process closes, the agency will review the comments received and take them into account in determining whether to approve the application.
Additional information is available on the U.K. Environment Agency <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-agency-consults-on-drax-carbon-capture-plans" target="_blank">website</a>.
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The U.K. Environment Agency on June 1 announced the opening of a public comment period on Drax Power Ltd.'s proposals to develop bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) at Drax Power Station.



UK agency opens public comment period on Drax BECCS application

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