LETTER: We never cause deforestation

I would like to reassure your readers that the biomass used at Drax to produce enough renewable power for four million households, does not come from deforestation in the US and Canada, as incorrectly stated by Judy Goodwin in her letter '˜Growing trees for energy takes years' (Express, October 19).

The forests we source our biomass from are sustainable, working forests which grow back and stay as forests.

We never cause deforestation or forest decline.

In fact, the forests in the US South where we source the majority of our biomass are huge – they’re three times the size of the UK and they’re growing – since the 1950s they have doubled in growth as a result of sustainable forestry practices, underpinned by growing demand for wood.

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All our data is independently audited and signed off by Ofgem as validation that our sourcing is sustainable.

Since we converted two thirds of the power station to use biomass instead of coal we have become the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe, delivering carbon savings of more than 80 per cent compared to when we used coal.

We will also be starting a Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage pilot project soon – technology which is critical to combat climate change.

If successful, it could help to make the power we produce carbon negative, meaning it would help to reduce the carbon accumulating in the atmosphere – vital if we are to meet our climate targets.

Andy Koss, CEO, Drax Power.