JV and sale of ash to low-carbon cement industry
27 March 2025
Drax Group plc
("Drax"; "The Group"; Symbol: DRX)
Joint Venture and 20-year agreement for sale of ash to low-carbon cement industry
Drax Power Limited has agreed a 20-year joint venture (JV) agreement with Power Minerals Limited (PML) which will allow for the development of a state-of-the-art facility to process pulverised fuel ash (PFA) into a Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM), which can be sold to the construction industry and used in the production of cement with a lower carbon footprint.
The new facility will be located adjacent to the Drax Power Station site, on land leased from Drax Power Limited. Under the agreement PML will construct, own and operate the new facility, whilst Drax will sell PFA to the JV as well as provide power and water to the facility, in addition to sharing the profits of the JV's sales of SCM. There is no capital investment required by Drax.
The new facility is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026, with an expected annual production of 400,000 tonnes once operating at full capacity.
Drax believes the project could generate incremental Adj. EBITDA of c.£5 million pa for Drax post 2027 through to 2046.
Lee Dawes, Drax's Chief Operations Officer, said: "This is a landmark deal not only for Drax, but for the UK construction industry. Cement production is one of the most carbon intensive processes in the world and through this partnership, we will be able to help the construction industry cut its carbon emissions in the years ahead.
"Drax Power Station is integral to the country's energy security and now through this new agreement it can play a further role in reducing carbon emissions in UK construction as well.
"The opportunity to sell large volumes of PFA from Drax Power Station as part of a long-term JV is another way in which we can realise incremental value from the site whilst helping to reduce carbon emissions. It is an exciting time for Drax as we continue to develop options for long-term investment in the site, including BECCS and a data centre."
Background details
PFA is a byproduct of power generation at Drax Power Station and over its operating life the station has built up a reserve of PFA which can be used to meet the requirements of the new facility over the 20-year JV period.
The production of cement contributes around 8% of global CO2 emissions annually. Over the duration of the project, PML estimates the utilisation of PFA from Drax can reduce emissions of CO2 by a minimum of 6 million tonnes, compared to utilising conventional cements.
Drax Power Station is the UK's largest source of 24/7 renewable power, supporting UK energy security with flexible and reliable renewable power generation and a wide range of system support services. Drax believes that the size, flexibility and location of the asset make it an integral long-term part of the UK energy system. The station has 2.6GW of current biomass generation capacity, in addition to 1.3GW of additional grid connection. As outlined at the Group's full year results in February 2025, Drax is continuing to assess opportunities for value creation and growth from the site including BECCS and a 1.2GW data centre.
Notes:
(1) Adj. EBITDA is Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, other gains and losses and impairment of non-current assets, excluding the impact of exceptional items and certain remeasurements, earnings from associates and earnings attributable to non-controlling interests.
Enquiries:
Drax Investor Relations:
Mark Strafford
mark.strafford@drax.com
+44 (0) 7730 763 949
Chris Simpson
+44 (0) 7923 257 815
Media:
Drax External Communications:
Aidan Kerr
Aidan.kerr@drax.com
+44 (0) 7849 090 368
Website: www.drax.com
Forward-looking statements
This announcement may contain certain statements, expectations, statistics, projections, and other information that are, or may be, forward looking. The accuracy and completeness of all such statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future financial position, strategy, projected costs, plans, beliefs, and objectives for the management of future operations of Drax Group plc ("Drax") and its subsidiaries (the "Group"), are not warranted or guaranteed. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may occur in the future. Although Drax believes that the statements, expectations, statistics and projections and other information reflected in such statements are reasonable, they reflect Drax's current view and no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Such events and statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. There are a number of factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Group, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, factors such as: delays in the process for finalising the proposed agreement with the UK Government for Drax Power Station, future revenues being lower than expected; increasing competitive pressures in the industry; uncertainty as to future investment and support achieved in enabling the realisation of strategic aims and objectives; and/or general economic conditions or conditions affecting the relevant industry, both domestically and internationally, being less favourable than expected, including the impact of prevailing economic and political uncertainty, the impact of conflict including those in the Middle East and Ukraine, the impact of cyber attacks on IT and systems infrastructure (whether operated directly by Drax or through third parties), the impact of strikes, the impact of adverse weather conditions or events such as wildfires, changes to the regulatory and compliance environment within which the Group operates. We do not intend to publicly update or revise these projections or other forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, and we do not assume any responsibility for doing so.
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