Next step for Drax repower

Drax has submitted an application to the UK Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for its Repower gas generation and battery storage project.

The plans to replace Drax’s two remaining coal generating units (units 5 and 6) with up to 3.6 GW of combined cycle generating capacity – making use of the existing steam turbines – along with up to 200 MW of battery storage were first set out in September 2017. The new facilities are shown in green and blue on the Drax site illustration above.

The proposed repowering comprises up to four new gas turbines (two for unit 5 and two for unit 6), each powering a dedicated generator of up to 600 MW. Each unit would provide steam, via a heat recovery steam generator, to the unit 5 and 6 existing steam turbines. A new gas pipeline will be built to connect to the existing National Transmission System pipeline approximately 3 km to the east of the site.

Since the launch of the plan, the company has been developing engineering and environmental reports for the application, as well as carrying out an extensive consultation programme with local people, landowners and councils.

Drax, originally a 6 x 660 MW coal fired plant, has converted three of its six units to 100% biomass firing (using “sustainable wood pellets”), and is in the process of converting a fourth unit, which is expected to be completed this summer, at a cost of about £30 million, well below that of the previous conversions.