THE BOSS of a North Yorkshire power station has backed the first Northern Powerhouse Partnership report.

Andy Koss, chief executive of Drax Power, has thrown his support behind the plans to boost economic growth by building better transport links, businesses and improving schools.

He said the report highlights the contribution that energy and new projects can make and points to the changes Drax has made by upgrading to run on biomass.  

The report sets out changes being made and what is still left to do.

It states the region has the potential to benefit from an additional £100 billion gross value over the next 30 years, and could create 850,000 jobs.

It was developed following input from over 200 businesses, civic and academic leaders from across the region and sets out the major progress already made over the last couple of years in proposals to better connect the cities and counties of the North, and devolve more power to city regions.

It goes on to identify what more still needs to be done to build a Northern Powerhouse where more people want to live, invest and set up businesses.

Mr Koss added: “Three million UK households are now powered with renewable energy from Drax, demonstrating that we can transform a coal-fired power station, using existing assets and infrastructure, with no added cost to the country’s energy grid, whilst maintaining energy security.

“In doing so we have also boosted east-west connectivity from the Humber to Liverpool and north to Tyneside, developing new biomass import and handling facilities, rejuvenating ports, creating hundreds of jobs and supporting thousands more as well as working with and inspiring the next generation of industry innovators.”