The largest emitters in the UK: annual review

The report identifies Drax power station as the UK's largest single CO2 emitter in 2023, emitting 11.5 million tonnes of CO2. It highlights that power stations, steelworks, and refineries are the primary sources of emissions, with the power sector accounting for 12% of total UK emissions. The document criticizes the use of biomass for power generation, arguing that the assumption of carbon neutrality is flawed and that the sector's reliance on imports creates energy security risks. It suggests that energy security can be achieved through the rapid deployment of cheaper renewables, energy storage, and grid upgrades rather than through subsidies for large emitters.

• Drax power station is the largest single source of CO2 in the UK, emitting 11.5 million tonnes (Mt) in 2023, which is equivalent to 2.9% of total UK territorial emissions. Its emissions exceed those of the next four largest power stations combined and are more than four times the emissions of the Ratcliffe on Soar coal power plant, which emitted 2.7 MT CO2e.
• Power stations, steelworks, and refineries are the dominant sources of emissions. The power sector accounts for 12% of total UK emissions, while refineries and steelworks combined account for 5%. UK power sector emissions have decreased by 78% since 1990, partly due to a 6% drop in electricity demand over the same period.
• The use of biomass for power generation is criticized as a 'risky gamble' because the assumption that emissions are offset by forest regrowth is considered critically flawed. Drax received an estimated £539 million in subsidies for 2023 and a total of £6.5 billion in public funding from 2002 to 2023.
• The UK's large biomass power sector poses an energy security risk due to its high dependence on imports; Drax consumed 5.8 million tonnes of wood biomass in 2023, none of which was sourced in the UK. This is nearly 20 times the UK's domestic pellet production of 0.3 million tonnes.
• Decarbonization of large industry is being pursued through electrification, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and hydrogen. For example, an electric arc furnace was granted planning permission at Teesside steelworks in early 2024, and the government identified two CCS clusters through 'track 1' and 'track 2' processes.

APA

Ember (2024). The largest emitters in the UK: annual review. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-largest-emitters-in-the-uk-annual-review

Chicago

Ember. The largest emitters in the UK: annual review. 2024. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-largest-emitters-in-the-uk-annual-review.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=The largest emitters in the UK: annual review |date=9 August 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-largest-emitters-in-the-uk-annual-review |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2024largest, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{The largest emitters in the UK: annual review}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-largest-emitters-in-the-uk-annual-review}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }