Drax Power Station, one of the UK’s largest energy producers, has once again come under scrutiny after BBC News uncovered further instances of misreporting regarding its use of wood sourced from primary forests.
The North Yorkshire-based plant, which generates approximately 6% of the UK’s electricity, has received billions of pounds in government subsidies under the classification of wood-burning as renewable energy.
However, evidence suggests that the company has failed to fully disclose its use of wood from previously untouched natural forests, a violation of sustainability reporting requirements.
Last year, energy regulator Ofgem imposed a £25 million penalty on Drax for inaccurately reporting its sourcing data.
Now, fresh findings by the BBC indicate that the company failed to declare its use of wood from primary forests in British Columbia, Canada, for the reporting year 2020-21.
Despite burning over 1.2 million tonnes of Canadian wood pellets that year—many of which originated from primary forests—Drax did not report this to the regulator as required.
Primary forests, which have never been industrially logged, serve as crucial carbon storage and biodiversity hubs. BBC investigations had previously revealed that Drax held logging licences in Canada and used whole trees from these ecologically significant areas to produce wood pellets.
While the company has since stated that it no longer bids for logging licences and has reduced its reliance on Canadian wood, public records confirm that it still sources whole trees from primary forests felled by other companies.
Drax did not deny the latest findings of misreporting but stated it is “focused on implementing the lessons learned.”
The company emphasized that it follows the sustainability requirements set by the UK, US, Canadian, and EU governments, adding that its misreporting in the past was “technical in nature” and did not impact the amount of subsidies received.
The UK government’s biomass sustainability criteria currently do not prohibit the use of whole trees from primary forests for wood pellets, but officials have hinted at potential amendments.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero described the existing framework for large-scale biomass generation as “unacceptable” and affirmed that steps are being taken to prevent further misreporting.
Meanwhile, Ofgem has responded to the BBC’s findings by stating that it will require Drax to conduct an independent external audit of its global supply chain profiling data.
The regulator, however, has not confirmed any immediate actions related to the latest allegations but assured that it “won’t hesitate to act” if additional wrongdoing is identified.
The timing of these revelations is particularly significant as the government is expected to announce an extension of Drax’s subsidies, which are set to expire in 2027.
Critics argue that continued financial support for biomass energy should be contingent on stricter environmental safeguards and increased transparency in reporting practices.
As scrutiny intensifies, environmental groups and industry watchdogs are calling for stricter regulations to prevent further exploitation of primary forests under the guise of renewable energy.
The government has promised an update on its biomass sustainability criteria soon, but whether it will ban the use of wood from primary forests remains uncertain.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
