Drax power station’s carbon emissions hit a new high in 2025 while receiving record public subsidies

Over 99% of fuel burned by Drax biomass power station in 2025 was imported. The majority (86.7%) of feedstock was sourced in the US and Canada. A further 13.2% was sourced in Europe, primarily Latvia, with less than 1% of feedstock sourced in the UK. This is despite long-term recommendations from independent bodies to develop domestic biomass supplies.

In April 2026, Drax power station entered the final twelve months of high subsidy payments before a new public subsidy with a cap on generation comes into effect from April 2027. The new subsidy will see Drax’s annual emissions fall to around 5.8 MtCO2e, beginning a phase-down of biomass burning. Despite this, Drax will continue to emit more CO2e than the second largest emitter, all but guaranteeing Drax will be the UK’s largest emitter until at least 2030.