A SENIOR executive at a North Yorkshire power station has become a Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s birthday honours list.

Dorothy Thompson, who is chief executive of Drax Group, is responsible for overseeing the transformation of the coal-fired Selby-area power station into one of the world’s biggest renewable energy plants.

The plans will see three of the six generation units converted from coal to biomass in a process which is expected to cost £700 million, and Ms Thompson was awarded the CBE on Friday for her services to the UK electricity industry.

Ms Thompson, a former banker, said: “I am truly thrilled to have received this honour and I am delighted to accept it not just for myself, but on behalf of Drax, as my achievements are a reflection of the teamwork and dedication across the company.”

Ms Thompson joined Drax, which provides about seven per cent of the country’s electricity, as chief executive in September 2005.

“Since then, the power station has worked to improve its carbon capture system and is working with the Government to improve the energy marketplace. Speaking to The Press recently, she said the business would continue to move forward in energy research.

She said: “When you look to the distant future, the ideal for Drax is to have CCS and biomass together.

“We don’t feel we have come to the end of our research on biomass.

“Now we know we can run it very successfully, we will continue to see if we can get better output and efficiency.

“Our research teams on biomass are very active. The Drax culture is one of really strong teamwork. It is the core of us or we never would have succeeded.”