STORY
The Environment Agency has opened a consultation on its draft decision to grant a permit variation to Drax Power Limited in Yorkshire. The company has applied to change its environmental permit to incorporate carbon capture at its bioenergy plant near Selby.
The agency said it was currently minded to issue the variation after considering comments and evidence from two earlier public consultations. It said it could not find a reason to refuse the application at this stage, but had not made a final decision and would consider further responses before doing so.
The consultation will remain open until 24 June 2026. Drax wants to capture carbon dioxide produced during electricity generation and transport it by pipeline for permanent storage under the North Sea, making the permit decision an important part of the wider debate about bioenergy, carbon capture and the Government’s clean power strategy.