Drax Group is a UK-based energy company primarily engaged in the generation of low-carbon electricity and the production of sustainable biomass. The company’s flagship facility, Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, is the largest single-site generator of renewable electricity in the United Kingdom. Over recent years, Drax has transitioned from coal to sustainably sourced wood pellets, positioning itself as a leader in the move toward carbon-neutral power generation. In addition to electricity generation, Drax Group operates a supply business serving industrial and commercial customers across the UK, providing tailored energy solutions with an emphasis on flexibility and carbon reduction.
Founded with the commissioning of Drax Power Station in the mid-1970s, the business was privatized following the UK electricity market reforms of the early 1990s and later listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2005. Since then, Drax has invested heavily in converting units to biomass firing and in building a network of wood pellet production plants. These facilities, located in the southeastern United States—principally in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas—process softwood into compressed wood pellets which are then shipped to the UK. This transatlantic supply chain underpins Drax’s goal of delivering renewable energy at scale.
Headquartered in Selby, North Yorkshire, Drax Group employs several thousand people across its operational sites in the UK and the US. Will Gardiner, the company’s Chief Executive Officer since 2017, has overseen the group’s strategic shift toward sustainable energy solutions, including pioneering work on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). Under his leadership, the company has set ambitions to become carbon negative by the early 2030s, subject to project approvals and regulatory support. Drax’s board is chaired by Philip Cox, whose background in industrial energy and infrastructure has guided the company through a period of significant transformation.
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