UK Power Station Failed To Disclose It Was Burning Forest Wood

A UK power station that has received billions of pounds in government subsidies has repeatedly failed to report that it burned wood from primary forests, Joe Crowley reported for BBC News.

Drax Power Station, which burns wood pellets, is required to disclose the sources of its wood and whether it comes from natural, previously untouched forests. I Photo: Drax Group

Drax Power Station, which burns wood pellets, is required to disclose the sources of its wood and whether it comes from natural, previously untouched forests.

Last year, the company was fined £25 million for misreporting this data following an investigation by energy regulator Ofgem. Now, the BBC has uncovered an additional year of misreporting that has not yet been reviewed by regulators.

Drax did not deny the misreporting but stated it is “focused on implementing the lessons learned.”

The power station, a converted coal plant in North Yorkshire, generates approximately 6% of the UK's electricity and has received billions in subsidies from both the government and bill-payers, as wood-burning is classified as a renewable energy source.