Drax Power Station: Biofuels
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any review has been undertaken of biomass sustainability verification procedures following allegations raised in the Drax whistleblower case.
Answered by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Government keeps arrangements for assuring compliance with biomass sustainability requirements under review and is committed to a process of continuous improvement in biomass sustainability standards, compliance, and verification.
This includes considering lessons from Ofgem’s extensive 2024 investigation into Drax’s sustainability reporting and the recently completed global audit of Drax’s biomass supply chain which Ofgem required Drax to conduct and fund. Reporting and verification arrangements have been strengthened under the new contract with Drax from 2027-31, including enhanced audit rights for the Low Carbon Contracts Company.
These lessons will also inform the forthcoming Common Biomass Sustainability Framework, which will strengthen sustainability criteria and ensure greater consistency across sectors in the longer term.
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