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Drax Group: Timber

Asked by Mr Angus MacDonaldLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 24 December 2025UIN 100761

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to verify the proportion of wood burnt at Drax that is sustainable.

Answered by Michael Shanks

Monitoring and enforcement under the existing Renewables Obligation (RO) and Contract for Difference (CfD) schemes are the responsibility of the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) and Ofgem respectively, who conduct independent checks to ensure compliance with the sustainability requirements.

Under the new Low-Carbon Dispatchable CfD the monitoring, reporting and verification regime has been enhanced by extending LCCC’s audit rights across Drax’s global supply chain, increasing the audit standard from ‘limited’ to ‘reasonable’ assurance, and requiring sustainability data to be reported down to the level of individual pellet mill facilities. This will provide increased confidence that the biomass used is 100% sustainable.

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