Drax goes for gas turbines

Continuing its diversification away from coal, Drax has acquired four 299 MWe open cycle gas turbine projects from UK OCGT developer Watt Power Limited, which will enable it “to provide flexible support to the electricity system”, the company says.

Half of the Drax power plant, in North Yorkshire, UK, previously a 6 x 660 MWe coal-fired station, has been converted to run on biomass, the new plants will take Drax into the flexible-gas-fired power plant business.

“Unlike combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants, which currently supply roughly 40% of the UK’s power and take 1.5 hours to start up from cold, our new open cycle gas turbine plants are like big jet engines,” said Dorothy Thompson, Drax Group CEO, “generating electricity at full power in just 10 minutes. It’s an incredibly fast turnaround and it’s what the energy network needs.” Drax anticipates that the new turbines will run for no more that 500 hours per year.

Two of the projects, one at Eye Airfield, mid-Suffolk, and one at Hirwaun Industrial Estate, Aberdare, county of Swansea, Wales, have full planning permission (Development Consent Orders) and have participated in capacity auctions, but have not been successful as yet. These units could be in operation by 2020.

The third project is at Rookery South Pit, near Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire, while the fourth is at Abergelli Farm, also in the county of Swansea.

Drax, already active in the retail sector via its subsidiary Haven Power, is expanding its presence in that sector with the acquisition of Opus Energy.