Renewable energy company Drax will open its new North American headquarters for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in Houston, Texas.

Drax first piloted its BECCS technology in October 2018 and believes it to be the most scalable negative emissions technology available to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

With the new office, the Drax team hopes to bring several BECCS projects to fruition throughout the US and Canada.

Already, two initial US sites have been selected for the BECCS technology and a further nine sites are being evaluated. This will help Drax to have a pipeline of development opportunities in to the 2030s.

Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax, described Houston as a natural fit for the BECCS headquarters as an energy capital with a highly skilled workforce.

He added, “Additionally, the US Gulf Coast has emerged as a major hub for CCS investment and technology, a key component of the company’s plans to expand clean electricity generation from renewable resources.”

Drax has started hiring for its new HQ and hopes to create over 100 jobs to support its growth strategy. Specifically, these jobs will focus on developing new BECCS sites with the associated infrastructure, and the conversion of coal-fired electric generation plants to BECCS facilities.

Jane Stricker, Houston Energy Transition Initiative, Executive Director and Senior Vice-President of Energy Transition at the Greater Houston Partnership, has welcomed Drax’s Houston-based announcement.

“We are thrilled at Drax’s announcement to name Houston as their BECCS headquarters, as it comes at a time of great momentum for Houston’s energy transition ecosystem and further positions the region as a leader in energy efficiency and carbon capture,” she said.

Drax’s office in Monroe, Louisiana will remain the headquarters for its North America Pellet Operations, which also includes regional offices in Vancouver and Prince George, Canada.