Drax Group has forged a partnership with Molpus Woodlands Group, facilitating Drax’s access to sustainably sourced woody biomass for its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) endeavors in the US Southeast.
Under a long-term fiber supply agreement, Drax has the option to procure up to 1 million green tons per year of sustainably sourced fiber. This agreement will serve as a cornerstone for Drax’s BECCS initiatives in the region, aimed at generating renewable baseload power and contributing to US energy independence while effectively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Arabella Freeman, Senior Vice President of Biomass Strategy at Drax, highlighted the significance of the renewable power generated through BECCS in bolstering the resilience of the US power grid and fostering job creation, particularly in rural communities across the US South. Freeman emphasized the importance of the sustainable fiber secured through the agreement with Molpus Woodlands Group, a prominent US forestry company, in advancing Drax’s BECCS aspirations.
Sustainably sourced biomass, when coupled with carbon capture and storage technology, emerges as the sole carbon-negative solution capable of permanently extracting carbon from the atmosphere while diversifying the power grid. The fiber supplied by Molpus adheres to Drax’s stringent sustainability criteria, enabling the production of high-quality carbon dioxide removals (CDR) credits that can be utilized to facilitate decarbonization efforts across various sectors through the voluntary carbon market.
The sustainable fiber procured from low-grade roundwood, including forest thinnings and residues from timber harvesting, represents a valuable resource for BECCS operations, providing a new market for forestry byproducts that are unsuitable for conventional sawmilling.
The collaboration with Molpus marks a pivotal milestone in Drax’s pursuit of becoming a global leader in carbon removals through BECCS technology, with ambitions to capture 6 million metric tonnes of carbon annually in the US. Additionally, Drax’s BECCS projects hold the potential to create hundreds of permanent jobs and support numerous livelihoods during construction and through the supply chain. The partnership also incentivizes landowners to adopt sustainable forest management practices, thereby enhancing the health and resilience of forests for future generations.
