Protesters Demand End to Wood Pellet Power Generation Amid Environmental Concerns
At COP26, environmental campaigners have criticized energy giant Drax for its wood-burning power station in North Yorkshire, accusing the company of “greenwashing” its practice of burning wood pellets for energy. Protesters outside the Glasgow summit condemned Drax’s claims of “sustainable wood burning,” arguing that it misrepresents the environmental impact and undermines the goals of the conference.
This protest follows Drax’s removal from a green energy index, as financial sectors grow increasingly concerned about the sustainability of its wood pellet power generation. The company, once one of Europe’s largest coal users, switched its power station to run entirely on wood pellets by 2016, claiming the pellets are made from wood that is unsuitable for other industries and result in 80% less CO2 emissions compared to coal.
However, Drax’s Yorkshire-based power station remains the UK’s largest carbon emitter, releasing over 13 million tonnes of CO2 in the past year. It consumes around 7 million tonnes of wood pellets annually, equivalent to 25 million trees, raising concerns about the long-term environmental costs of such energy generation.
