Drax Power Station: Timber
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to his answer of 27 February 2026 to question 113391 regarding the climate impact of Drax’s burning of wood, how many years it takes for the carbon debt to be paid off by replacement trees.
Answered by Michael Shanks
Biomass feedstocks for power production at Drax utilise waste wood and residues from productive forestry for other wood products. The carbon balance of these depends on forest type and management, amongst other variables, and cannot be attributed to the growth of replacement trees alone. The Government only supports the use of sustainable biomass and operators only receive subsidies for biomass that meets our sustainability criteria. UK sustainability criteria include requirements on sustainable forest management in the sourcing region, which applies to both domestically sourced and imported biomass.
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