Drax Group plc in early October announced that the U.K. government has signaled its intent to allow large-scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects to be eligible to participate in an expansion of the Track-1 carbon clustering process.&nbsp;The carbon clustering process is a carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) initiative launched by the U.K. government. Plans for the initiative were announced as part of a 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution issued by the government in late 2020.&nbsp;The carbon clustering process currently includes two tracks. As part of Track-1, the U.K. government in 2021 <a href="https://biomassmagazine.com/articles/uk-ccs-cluster-anchored-by-drax-beccs-project-moves-forward-18405">identified </a>two CCUS clusters that it determined were most suited to deployment in the mid-2020s. Track-2, launched earlier this year, aims to establish two additional CCUS clusters.&nbsp;In March 2023, the government announced it had decided not to advance any large-scale BECCS projects, including those under development by Drax Power Ltd. and Lynemouth Power Ltd., as part of a larger announcement naming eight projects that would move forward as part of the CCUS initiative.&nbsp;Also in March, Drax <a href="https://biomassmagazine.com/articles/drax-pauses-beccs-investment-while-waiting-for-government-clarity-19855">announced </a>it would pause investment in its proposed BECCSS project while awaiting clarity regarding the U.K. government’s commitment to support BECSS.&nbsp;The U.K.’s March 2023 announcement also indicated that the government was developing sustainability criteria for BECCCS that would build on existing criteria and the then-forthcoming Biomass Strategy. The Biomass Strategy and an accompanying report on BECSS were <a href="https://biomassmagazine.com/articles/uk-publishes-biomass-strategy-report-on-beccs-20295">published </a>in August.&nbsp;A statement released by Drax on Oct. 4 may signal that the U.K. government is now ready to move forward with support for BECCS projects. According to Drax, the U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has issued a market update to the sector setting out an indicative position that large-scale power BECCS projects be eligible to participate in an expansion of the Track-1 carbon cluster sequencing process. &nbsp;As part of the update, Drax said DESNZ set out its draft expectation to run the Track-1 extension and Track-2 process in parallel, subject to transport and storage (T&amp;S) capacity and ministerial sign off. The Drax BECCS project could be supported by either the East Coast Cluster, which was selected as a Track-1 cluster project in 2021, or the Viking CCS cluster, which was identified as a Track-2 cluster earlier this year. An indicative timeline set out by DESNZ in its market update shows that shortlisted projects would commence negotiations starting in Fall 2024, according to Drax. Final guidance has not yet been issued by DESNZ.&nbsp;“The government’s statements are a helpful step forward not just for BECCS in the U.K., but for the wider fight against climate change,” said Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax. “We can only reach net zero by investing in critical, new green technologies such as BECCS. I welcome the government’s draft position and urge them to progress with both Track-1 expansion and Track-2 processes in parallel this winter.”A full copy of Drax’s statement is available on the company’s <a href="https://www.drax.com/uk/investors/track-1-expansion-process-update/">website</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Drax Group plc in early October announced that the U.K. government has signaled its intent to allow large-scale BECCS projects to be eligible to participate in an expansion of the Track-1 carbon clustering process. 

Drax: UK government signals intent to move forward with BECCS projects

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