Calls for Drax to be forced to fully disclose its biomass sourcing
The owner of the Drax wood-burning power station should be forced to disclose full details of its tree consumption, campaigners have argued, as MPs review the billions in renewables subsidies the North Yorkshire plant receives.
A delegated legislation committee will decide on Monday whether to pass the government's plans to extend billpayer-funded subsidies to the country's biomass power generators, of which Drax is by far the biggest.
Green campaigners said a condition of any extension should be that Drax published a key report by KPMG into its operations and sourcing. Reports by the auditor have been provided to the government and the energy regulator Ofgem but not the public.
Ofgem has said KPMG shows Drax has not breached rules on sourcing trees for burning from environmentally sustainable forests.
However, in separate incidents, Drax had been found to have supplied inaccurate data for subsidies in the past, leading to a £25m fine. Media investigations also found Drax using wood from old-growth forests in the US.
Drax is expected to receive more than £10bn in renewable energy subsidies between 2012 and 2027, the current regime period, according to the thinktank Ember.
Kingsmill Bond, an energy strategist at Ember, said: 'Burning trees for electricity is extremely inefficient and expensive, and is not effective at mitigating climate change.
'The collapse in the price of solar, wind and batteries in the last five years means that burning trees for electricity is now an obsolete technology. Before we pour any more subsidy into Drax, MPs need to see the KMPG report on where the wood has been coming from.'
The government plans to halve the subsidies available for biomass power generation under a revised regime from 2027. MPs on the delegated legislation committee are expected to vote on Monday on the statutory instrument enabling this.
Almuth Ernsting, the co-director of the campaign group Biofuelwatch, said: 'If those subsidies are approved, it would result in more carbon emissions, more destructive logging of wildlife-rich forests in the south-eastern US and elsewhere, and more pollution suffered by communities living next to pellet plants in that region – pollution which community activists have denounced as 'environmental racism'.'
Mark Campanale, the founder of the Carbon Tracker Initiative, added: 'At a time when renewables powered by wind, solar with back up batteries are growing exponentially around the world, it seems remarkable that the UK still needs to rely on dirty combustion like Drax to reach its climate targets. Instead of importing and burning wood, with all its associated emissions, the UK should be doubling down on natural sources of energy available to us, wind and solar.'
A spokesperson for Drax said: 'In their investigation Ofgem found no evidence that our biomass failed to meet the sustainability criteria of the RO [renewable obligation] scheme, nor that the ROCs [renewable obligation certificates] we received for the renewable power we produced had been provided incorrectly.
'Their new statement on the reports we commissioned from KPMG, as well as the prior comments in a public accounts committee hearing by Ofgem's director of audit and compliance, confirm that they reviewed these documents as part of their investigation and found no evidence within them that we were in breach of our sustainability obligations and therefore wrong to receive RO funding.'
The spokesperson added: 'Drax provides secure renewable power to millions of homes and businesses when they need it, not just when the wind is blowing, or the sun is shining. The science underpinning biomass generation is supported by the world's leading climate experts, including the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK's Climate Change Committee.'
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We are halving the amount of support for Drax, saving money on people's energy bills and contributing to our energy security. Drax will operate for less of the time under a clean power system and will need to use 100% sustainably sourced biomass, with not a penny of subsidy paid for anything less.'
The Guardian understands there would be substantial penalties for any breach of the sustainability criteria.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
Donald Trump doubles US steel and aluminium tariffs to 50%
US President Donald Trump has signed an order doubling tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from 25% to 50%.The move hikes import taxes on the metals - key inputs in everything from cars to canned food - for the second time in three has said the measures, which come into effect on Thursday, are intended to secure the future of the American steel industry. However, critics say the protections could wreak havoc on steel producers outside the US, spark retaliation from trade partners, and come at a punishing cost for American users of the metals. Hours before he hiked the duties, many firms directly affected could scarcely believe the plan was moving forward, hoping it would turn out to be temporary or some kind of negotiating as Trump moved forward with the deal, the UK was granted a carve-out from the measures, leaving duties on its steel and aluminium at 25%, a move Trump said reflected its ongoing trade discussions with the US. "Always the question with Mr Trump is, is this a tactic or is this a long-term plan?" said Rick Heuther, chief executive of Independent Can Co, a Maryland-based business, which brings in steel from Europe and turns it into decorative cookie tins, popcorn boxes, and other said he had put investments on hold and feared the abrupt changes, and price increases would lead his customers to turn to alternatives such as plastic or paper boxes. "There's a lot of chaos," he said. The US is the biggest importer of steel in the world, after the European Union, getting most of the metal from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, according to the US his first term, Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, citing a law that gives him authority to protect industries considered vital to national security. But many imports ultimately escaped the duties after the US struck trade deals with allies and granted exemptions to certain imports at the request of ended those carve-outs in March, saying he was unhappy with the way the protections had been weakened. At Friday's rally at the US Steel factory, he said wanted to make tariffs so high that US businesses would have no alternative but to buy from American suppliers."Nobody's going to get around that," he said of the 50% rate. "That means that nobody's going to be able to steal your industry. It's at 25% - they can get over that fence. At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence." Reaction in the UK and Europe As of May, imports and the rate of raw steel production in the US had changed little since last year before Trump raised tariffs, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. But steel imports fell 17% in April, compared to March. And businesses selling the metals into the US said they expected Trump's latest announcement to lead to an even more dramatic drop. Trump's moves in March had already prompted Canada and the European Union to prepare to hit back with tariffs of their own American products. On Tuesday, Olof Gill, spokesperson for economic security and trade for the European Commission told the BBC the two sides were engaged in intense talks to try to make progress toward an agreement. "We're negotiating hard to try and make good deals," he said."We really hope that the Americans will roll back on this latest tariff threat, as they have done on others, but that remains to be seen." In the UK, Trump's announcement put new pressure on the government to pin down the trade deal in the works with the US, which had been expected to provide some protection from the March metals tariffs. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday. His office said it was "pleased" that the trade talks had protected UK steel from the latest duties. "We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25% US tariffs on steel removed," he said. Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, which represents steelmakers, told the BBC that his members had already seen orders cancelled and delayed as a result of the 25% tariffs put in place in March. He warned that a 50% tariff would be "catastrophic" for UK exports to the US, about 7% of overall exports."The introduction of 50% tariffs immediately puts the shutters up," he said. "Most of our orders, if not all of them, will now be cancelled." Economists said the US economy is also facing damage, as prices rise as a result of the new measures. A 2020 analysis estimated that Trump's first term tariffs created roughly 1,000 jobs in the steel industry, but cost the economy 75,000 jobs in other sectors, such as manufacturing and York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, said that she expected to see even more extreme job losses this time. "Some of the strongest evidence is against tariffs on intermediate inputs like steel and aluminium, finding they are much more harmful because they increase the cost of production in the United States," she said. "It's just very foolish to double down on this type of tariff in particular." Chad Bartusek is director of supply chain management at Drill Rod & Tool Steels, a small, family-owned manufacturing business in Illinois, which brings in about 800,000 pounds of Austrian-made steel each year, at specifications he says are not produced in the US. Mr Bartusek said he was currently waiting on three containers worth of steel rod, which would have entered the US without duties at the start of the of last week, he had expected to pay tariff costs about $72,000. Instead, he is looking at a tariff bill of almost $145,000. "I woke up Saturday morning, looked at the news and my jaw dropped," he said of Trump's announcement. Mr Bartusek said business had been steady until a few weeks ago. But his firm raised prices earlier this year by 8% to 14% to help cover the new cost of the tariffs. Now customers have been ordering more cautiously and he has had to cut back hours for workers. "It's one punch after the other," he said. "Hopefully, this settles down quickly."
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump ally Lindsey Graham calls out Elon Musk 'bull****' after tech titan throws his credibility under the bus
Senator Lindsey Graham snapped back at billionaire Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk, after the tech titan shared a post alleging he was responsible for nearly a million dollars in spending on hotel rooms in Ukraine. Graham, R-S.C., landed in hot water with former top Trump White House ally Elon Musk Tuesday afternoon in a spectacular clash on social media. Musk reposted a tweet which accused Graham of spending $400,000 on hotel rooms in Ukraine. Social media influencer Nick Sortor made the original post with the allegations, which has amassed over 10 million views since just before 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. 'People love whining in my comment section when I say Congress takes a lot of vacations: 'They're not on vacation. They're working in their districts!' 'BULL****. Lindsey Graham was just PARTYING IN UKRAINE on OUR DIME. When did Lindsey Graham become the Senator from Ukraine??!' Sorotor concluded. Sortor's post also included a video of Senator Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend in Kiyv. A screenshot of a spending disbursement of $411,634 made by the U.S. Department of State to an organization in Ukraine, the International - Business Center Tov was also included in Sortor's post. Musk reposted Sortor's post, adding 'Why is the hotel bill so high? The room service must be incredible!' Graham fired back at the allegations Tuesday afternoon with his own X post. 'Fake news. More BS. I'm all-in trying to help President @realDonaldTrump end this war — and making sure Putin doesn't win. This isn't a travel expense report. It's a monthly contract between the State Department for U.S. diplomats in a war zone — nothing to do with my trip' Graham tweeted from his official government account. Fake news. More BS. I'm all-in trying to help President @realDonaldTrump end this war — and making sure Putin doesn't win. This isn't a travel expense report. It's a monthly contract between the State Department for U.S. diplomats in a war zone — nothing to do with my trip. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2025 Per data available on USA Spending, the International - Business Center Tov has received $8.59 million marked as hotel spending. The group has received money from the American government in 2023, 2024, and 2025. While the allegations continued to gain steam on social media Tuesday, Musk's own Grok AI classified the X boss's claims as misinformation. 'There's no evidence supporting claims of GOP spending on luxury hotels in Ukraine; such narratives may stem from misinformation. The idea that Congress spends 60% of their time on vacation is exaggerated, as they work about 133 days in session, with other time often spent on district duties,' a Grok reply to a post made by X user Matt Van Swol reads. @matt_vanswol is expressing frustration over the GOP's failure to act on proposed spending cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), linked to Elon Musk and the Trump administration. There's no evidence supporting claims of GOP spending on luxury hotels in Ukraine;… — Grok (@grok) June 3, 2025 Senator Graham has been one of Ukraine's most vocal advocates throughout the course of the nation's war with Russia, taking several trips to the country in recent years. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon accused Graham of working against the wishes of President Trump during his trips on an episode of his War Room podcast, which aired Monday. 'The White House has to condemn this immediately and pull all support and tell Lindsey Graham to come home or we are going to put you under arrest when you come home. You're stirring it up,' Bannon said.
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Very good week' for England or 'back to the drawing board'?
Big-name retirements, an impressive display against Portugal but dominated by Spain days later. Has it been a positive week for England or a reality check?Sarina Wiegman's side are preparing to defend their European title in Switzerland next month but had two testing matches in the Women's Nations League to navigate first.A 6-0 victory over Portugal afforded the opportunity for returning stars to build their fitness after injuries, but Tuesday's game in Spain against the world champions was the ultimate litmus test to assess the level of the Lionesses going into the tournament. Key players back and new tests Manager Wiegman had her hands full going into the camp after goalkeeper Mary Earps announced her shock international retirement and key defender Millie Bright withdrew from the squad to focus on her mental and physical St-Germain stopper Earps had fallen down the pecking order, with Hannah Hampton increasingly looking more likely to secure the number one Wiegman admitted Earps would have been a valuable member of the Euros squad - and it had been "hard" to deal with her decision. That news was a major distraction as England prepared to face Portugal, piling pressure on Hampton and raising questions about the morale in the response was emphatic and admirable as they produced an immense display, thrashing Portugal in front of an entertained crowd at Beever-Jones demonstrated England's attacking depth with a brilliant hat-trick, while Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway all got minutes after returning from knee positive signs cannot be forgotten, although their week did not end on a high as an elite Spain side fought back in style for a 2-1 success that took them into the Nations League England defender Anita Asante told ITV: "The most important thing is the right players are getting the right minutes to feel prepared going into the Euros."Karen Carney, a former Lionesses midfielder, added: "It's great we got fitness for Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood. "If we get them back fighting - it's a good position for them. I'm confident for England going into the group stages."Carney admitted England had to "suffer" against Spain because they rotated in the second half as Wiegman looked to expose some of her fringe players to the experience against world-class names her Euros squad on Thursday and handed a senior debut to Missy Bo Kearns, just hours before midfielder Fran Kirby announced her international retirement, capping off a rollercoaster week for the Dutchwoman."Sometimes you have to go through these moments because the bigger picture for the summer is giving players the minutes that they need," added Carney."The changes in the second half really hampered England and we felt disconnected. It is a positive because Wiegman has got a lot to learn."The England boss echoed that sentiment, saying she was not concerned and could use the Spain loss as another "learning moment"."We had a very good week - players coming back from injuries, players fighting for positions, or minutes, or selection, and that is very positive." 'I would rather have a lesson now' But while there were certainly positives - most notably the Portugal performance after such a disruptive build-up - the second-half display in their defeat by Spain showed they clearly have work to France, the Netherlands and Wales awaiting them in the group stages at the Euros, they do not have time to get up to are tipped by many to be the tournament favourites and will undoubtedly be one of England's biggest obstacles if they want to defend their would have been unsettling, then, to see how easily Montse Tome's side dominated possession in the second half and put the visitors under relentless pressure and should have scored more goals than the two from substitute Claudia Pina."It's back to the drawing board against our old rival Spain," said former England international Lindsay Johnson on BBC Radio 5 Live. "In the first half, England looked confident in that low block, and they hit Spain on the transition. "In the second half, England really dropped off, Spain upped their game and England couldn't get anywhere near Spain. They were chasing shadows."Captain Leah Williamson admitted her side's performances away from home recently have been "difficult".It has been an inconsistent Women's Nations League campaign for the were held to a 1-1 draw in Portugal, then beat Spain at Wembley days later in February. In April, they thrashed Belgium 5-0 at home, then lost 3-2 in Leuven."What we have been saying the whole time is that 'it's the new England'. So we wanted to try different things as well," Williamson told BBC Radio 5 Live. "There was more inconsistency than we like, but you have seen very good sides of us. They are the levels we need to keep pushing for and hopefully we will be ready [for the Euros]."We would have liked to pick up a win [against Spain]. That would have done wonders for our confidence, how we feel and how we look ahead."But we can't forget all the work we have done. As we always say, I would rather have a lesson now than in a month's time."England will have another opportunity to piece things together when they face Jamaica in a friendly on 29 June - their final match before the Euros. Head here to get involved
