Drax operates four 645 MW biomass units: 2,580 MW of rated generating capacity. The former coal units closed in March 2023. The generating station, EGL2 transmission converter and proposed data centre are separate assets; their ratings must not be treated as one combined output.
Biomass steamYorkshire & the HumberEnglandCommissioned 2013
Drax Group
Site imageOperational
Drax power stationCooling towers and chimney at Drax, one of the most recognisable thermal power station sites in the UK.
Image credit: Paul Glazzard / Wikimedia Commons Β· CC BY-SA 2.0
Biomass steamTechnical views
Steam-cycle configuration adapted for biomass handling, storage and converted boiler operation.
Indicative biomass layout showing the fuel-handling system, steam-cycle plant, emissions-control equipment and supporting site infrastructure.
Indicative station-form view showing the principal structures and site massing associated with this station type.
Station map context
OpenStreetMap view showing the actual atlas coordinate for Drax Biomass Power Station, with a wider local view and a closer site-focused view.
Wider location
This view places the station in its surrounding district, coast or industrial corridor.
Approx. coordinate used: 53.747, -0.986
Closer site view
This tighter map makes the specific site position much clearer for the station record.
Marker placed on the stored station coordinate in the atlas dataset.
Reference snapshot
Drax Group
StatusOperational
FuelBiomass
TechnologyBiomass steam
Capacity2,580 MW
Commissioned2013
ClosedNot stated
RegionYorkshire & the Humber
NationEngland
OwnerDrax Group
OperatorDrax Group
Why it matters
Four operating biomass units
2,580 MW rated generating capacity
Separate from the former coal units and proposed AI campus
This summary focuses on the key facts that explain the stationβs role in the wider UK generation system.
Station timeline
These timeline entries highlight the main milestones for the site, including commissioning, major changes, closure and current status where relevant.
2013Biomass conversion
The first full-unit biomass conversion began the current generation phase.
2018Fourth conversion
The fourth biomass conversion expanded the converted fleet.
2023Coal units closed
The remaining coal units closed in March; biomass generation continued.
Power-station siting reflects engineering requirements, fuel and water logistics, grid access, industrial geography and the planning frameworks of the period in which the site was developed. Drax Biomass Power Station should therefore be read as part of a wider infrastructure system rather than as an isolated structure in the landscape.
Operator reports four 645 MW units; rated capacity is not live output. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
The renewable register records the four units separately. Do not add this whole-station reference to the same four unit records when calculating fleet capacity.
Gallery notes
These notes highlight the main structures, layout characteristics and historic changes associated with the station. They are intended as a concise interpretive layer alongside the reference data, timeline and technical diagrams.
Converted steam cycle
Wood-pellet handling and converted boilers supply steam turbines and the grid connection.
Shared site, separate assets
The operating biomass units coexist with transmission investment and proposed future developments.
This record can be expanded further with licensed site plans, archival photography, demolition or redevelopment updates, fuller unit-level timelines and linked planning or environmental documentation.
Drax Group
