Member Article

Drax contract brings jobs boost for Humber Ports

Associated British Ports (ABP) has announced the signing a 15-year contract with Drax Power Limited, operating subsidiary of Drax Group Plc, which will see terminal investments of up to £100m to handle wood pellet shipments at its Humber ports of Immingham, Hull and Goole.

The investment will support Drax Power’s conversion to a low carbon electricity producer through replacing coal with sustainable biomass.

The project will generate approximately 100 jobs at ABP’s Humber ports during the construction phase and over 100 permanent positions will be supported once the facilities become fully operational over the next few years.

The Drax Power Station at Selby is the UK’s largest single producer of electricity, meeting approximately seven per cent of the UK’s electricity needs.

Drax plans to convert three of its existing coal-fired generating units to burn sustainable biomass which will result in its output being predominantly from renewable resources within the next few years.

In response to this project, ABP is investing in new discharge and storage facilities at the Humber ports.

ABP chief executive, James Cooper, said: “We are very pleased to be able to announce that we have signed this contract with Drax.

“As the UK’s leading ports operator we look forward to building on our already long-standing relationship with a leading UK energy producer.

“ABP’s Humber Ports are already at the forefront of the renewables industry with the proposed development of the £200m Green Port Hull offshore wind turbine facility, while at Grimsby there is continuous investment by leading offshore wind farm operators in the development of operations and maintenance bases.

“This investment at Hull, Immingham and Goole looks set to secure the Humber region’s position as a centre of excellence for the development of the low carbon energy future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .