Drax Power Station’s Carbon Emissions Hit A New High In 2025 While Receiving Record Public Subsidies

Drax, a UK power station that burns wood pellets (a type of biomass) to generate electricity, was the country's largest carbon emitter for the eleventh year in a row, according to new analysis from the energy think tank Ember. In 2025 it emitted 14.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, four times more than the next largest emitter and more than the top six gas power plants combined. Despite this, Drax received £999m in public subsidies last year, a cost the analysis says worked out to £13 per UK household.

Nearly all the wood Drax burns is imported, with most coming from the US and Canada, and a smaller share from Europe, mainly Latvia. Less than 1% comes from the UK itself, even though independent bodies have long recommended building up domestic biomass supplies instead.

Change is coming, though slowly. Drax entered its final year of high subsidy payments in April 2026. Starting in April 2027, a new subsidy will cap how much power the plant can generate, which is expected to cut its annual emissions to around 5.8 million tonnes. Even with that drop, Drax will likely still emit more than the UK's second largest source, meaning it is expected to remain the country's top emitter until at least 2030.

For a homeowner, this is background on how the UK's electricity mix is funded and cleaned up over time. It doesn't change any rebate or upgrade program, but it's a reminder that "biomass" power isn't automatically low carbon, and that the UK's supply is shifting away from it only gradually over the next several years.