Ember Analysis Finds Drax Recorded UK’s Highest Power Sector Emissions in 2025 Despite Biomass Subsidies

Biomass-fired power station Drax remained the UK’s largest carbon emitter in 2025 for the eleventh consecutive year, releasing a record 14.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), according to a new analysis by energy think tank Ember.

The report found that Drax emitted four times more CO2e than the country’s second-largest emitter, Pembroke gas power station, and generated higher emissions than the top six gas-fired power stations combined.

Despite its emissions profile, Ember noted that Drax received a record £999 million in public subsidies during 2025 for biomass-based electricity generation. Previous analysis by the think tank estimated that the subsidy scheme cost UK households approximately £13 each.

According to the report, more than 99% of the biomass fuel burned at Drax during 2025 was imported. Around 86.7% of the feedstock originated from the United States and Canada, while 13.2% was sourced from Europe, primarily Latvia. Less than 1% of the biomass used by the power station was sourced within the UK.

Ember said the continued reliance on imported biomass contrasts with longstanding recommendations from independent advisory bodies to expand domestic biomass production.

The analysis also highlighted that Drax entered the final year of its existing subsidy arrangement in April 2026, with a revised public support mechanism scheduled to take effect from April 2027. Under the new framework, electricity generation from biomass will be capped, reducing the power station’s annual emissions to an estimated 5.8 million tonnes of CO2e.

While the revised subsidy scheme is expected to accelerate the phase-down of biomass power generation, Ember projects that Drax will continue to emit more carbon dioxide equivalent than the UK’s second-largest emitter, making it likely to remain the country’s largest single source of power-sector emissions until at least 2030.

The findings come amid ongoing debate over the role of biomass in the UK’s energy transition, with policymakers weighing its contribution to renewable electricity generation against concerns over lifecycle emissions, imported feedstock, and long-term sustainability.