This latest round of investment spans more than 20 community projects across the regions where Drax operates.
In total, the Drax Foundation’s contributions will support over 20,000 children with access to STEM education, over 24,000 individuals with nature-based learning and 400 households struggling with fuel poverty.
Shona King, Group Head of Social Impact at Drax, said: “The Drax Foundation is committed to investing in communities to create real and lasting impact. Whether it’s helping students in rural Canada learn about climate science, supporting First Nations in biodiversity restoration, or providing energy advice to vulnerable UK households – our focus is global, but our impact is deeply local.”
Some of the projects that will receive funding from the Drax Foundation, include:
Engineering Development Trust (UK – North Yorkshire)
A UK based charity that helps connect young people with STEM and inspire STEM futures among under-represented groups, has been awarded £41,846 to support their STEM Futures programme, which aims to encourage STEM careers through hands on extra-curricular activities in schools near to Selby, North Yorkshire.
Oban Mountain Rescue (UK – Scotland)
A voluntary organisation providing life-saving support in the mountains and rural areas around Oban, Argyll, has been awarded £30,000 to support their search and rescue capabilities with a new command vehicle.
Project Learning Tree (U.S – U.S South)
A non-profit organisation with the mission of enhancing sustainability and environmental education in rural and low-income communities, has been awarded £78,732 ($99,980 USD) to continue supporting their engagement programme for STEM learning and green career across the U.S South.
Williams Lake First Nation (Canada – British Columbia)
A growing First Nation with a population of 1,000 registered members in British Columbia, Canada, has been awarded £43,478 ($80,000 CAD) to continue their monitoring and restoration of the important aquatic and terrestrial habitat of the San Jose River, which has received previous funding from the Drax Foundation.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Media contacts:
Kieran Wilson
E: kieran.wilson@drax.com
T: 07729092807
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.
Our operations
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable UK power assets – biomass, hydro, and pumped storage generation – which provide dispatchable power and system support services to the electricity grid.
We are the UK’s largest source of renewable power by output, and Drax Power Station is the UK’s largest single source of renewable electricity by output.
Through our pellet production facilities in North America, Drax is a leading integrated producer of sustainable biomass. Drax has 18 operational and development pellet production sites which will have a nameplate capacity of around 5.4 million tonnes once expansions are complete.
Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK industrial and commercial customers, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.
Our future
Drax is progressing options for carbon removals using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology globally and at our UK biomass power station. We are progressing plans to develop 7 million tonnes of carbon removals through BECCS by 2030.
In 2024, we launched Elimini, a US-based company to lead our global efforts to deliver carbon removals at scale. Elimini’s purpose is to remove carbon for good. To achieve this, it is convening engineers, environmentalists, communities, investors, and innovators to scale the market for carbon removals, with the aspiration of transforming our economies from carbon emitters to carbon removers. For more information, visit elimini.com.