Drax faces scrutiny over biomass emissions for data centre plans

Drax is facing significant scrutiny over plans to develop a large-scale data centre campus at its Selby power station in North Yorkshire. While initial plans outlined a 100MW facility powered by the grid, the company has explored expanding to a 1.2GW-scale campus that could include behind-the-meter electricity supplied directly from its biomass generation assets.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that a 1.2GW facility could require approximately 4.9 million tonnes of wood annually, potentially producing 8.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. This figure is nearly double the annual emissions from all flights at Gatwick Airport. Campaigners have criticized the proposal, with some labeling it ‘one of the dirtiest datacentres out there’ due to the reliance on burning wood for power.

Drax has disputed the NRDC’s methodology, claiming the analysis contains ‘basic errors’ regarding biomass emissions and the power mix. The company maintains that the project could support UK economic growth and ‘AI sovereignty’. Adding to the uncertainty, reports indicate that the proposal to designate the site as an ‘AI Growth Zone’ was rejected by the government and no longer has the support of the North Yorkshire Council.