Drax And NGIS Launch New Partnership To Map Carbon Stocks Of Drax’s North American Biomass Sourcing Areas

Drax, the renewable energy business, is partnering with NGIS, a global leader in Geospatial technology, to model and monitor the carbon stocks of the US and Canadian forests that Drax sources its sustainable biomass from.

Drax is a producer, user and seller of biomass pellets. It owns and operates Drax Power Station, which is the UK’s largest single source of renewable power. In 2024, the site generated over 5% of the country’s electricity using biomass pellets primarily sourced from North America.

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The new agreement highlights the progress Drax is making on the commitments the company set in its Sustainability Framework, including delivering evidence on forest carbon stocks in all its principal biomass feedstock sourcing areas by the end of 2026.

Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Drax Group Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “We are proud to launch this new partnership with NGIS. This agreement will help us deliver on the commitments we set in our Sustainability Framework including taking action, with our supply chain, to being deforestation, degradation and conversion free.

“We hope this new data of the carbon stock of our sourcing areas can help increase global confidence in biomass as a sustainable resource. It will help inform our work with our suppliers and help us to deliver on our sustainable biomass commitments.

“Sustainable biomass is a secure renewable energy source that can be used to generate electricity for millions of people. Drax sources from forests that are managed for the high-grade lumber used in a range of applications, from construction materials to furniture-making. Processing of trees in forests and at sawmills generates a huge volume of residual wood with few other commercial uses such as defective logs, branches, sawdust, chips and bark. We process these into biomass pellets which we then use to help the UK keep the lights on.”

NGIS is a Google Cloud Premier Partner that specialises in Geospatial solutions that use satellite imagery to monitor global supply chains. Under the new partnership, NGIS will use a range of Earth Observation data, combined with Google AI and machine-learning tools to model and monitor the carbon sequestered in forests that Drax sources from. It will also track other indicators of forest health, including tree cover and condition.

The information is presented to Drax on an accessible digital platform through which users can, for example, see satellite imagery with overlays of historical images of where trees have been harvested on one date and then on another later date where regrowth and reforestation have started.

Nathan Eaton, NGIS Executive Director, said: “This partnership is a great showcase for the use of innovative Geospatial capability to address Drax’s significant commitments to help meet the world’s increasing demand for secure energy, sustainably.”

Drax is already using the new data in discussions with its supply chain to help tailor initiatives that support forest health, biodiversity and assessing the impact of events such as floods, diseases, fires and hurricanes on forests too.

ENDS

About Drax

Drax’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Our strategic aims are to be a global leader in both carbon removals and sustainable biomass pellet production, and to be a UK leader in dispatchable, renewable generation.

Drax is the UK’s largest source of renewable power by output, and one of the largest producers of sustainable biomass globally. Drax is progressing options for carbon removals using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. For more information on our power generation, pellet production, and retail energy solutions operations, visit drax.com.

In 2024, we launched Elimini, a US-based company to lead our global efforts to deliver carbon removals at megaton scale. Elimini’s purpose is to remove carbon for good. For more information, visit elimini.com.

About NGIS

NGIS is a global leading Geospatial company. Our recent Impact Report showcases our mission to empower organisations and address global challenges through cutting-edge geospatial solutions. Utilising leading technology products and our dedicated team of passionate and professional experts, we remain committed to making a positive difference for our clients and communities worldwide.

Our TraceMark platform is being used by large enterprises with complex supply chains to provide compliance with regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation. Built on Google Cloud Geospatial and AI technology, TraceMark provides advanced supply chain traceability for fibres, including inbound material and finished goods.