DR A M Bostyn (Letters, July 19) is mistaken. Using biomass to generate electricity is renewable, and far cleaner than other technologies.

Our sustainable biomass-fuelled generating units deliver carbon savings of over 60 per cent compared to gas and over 80 per cent compared to when they used coal.

This is independently verified and covers the full carbon footprint from across our entire supply chain, including transportation.

We only source our biomass from sustainably managed working forests, which are growing in size.

Since the 1950s, forest stocks in the US South – from where Drax gets most of its material have increased by more than 100 per cent.

In these working forests we take the low grade material including tree tops, limbs, sawmill residues, misshapen and diseased trees, as well as thinnings - small trees removed to maximise the growth of the forest.

All renewable technologies and new nuclear require government subsidy to enable companies to commit the billions of pounds of investment needed to secure the low carbon, long-term security of the UK’s energy system.

Last year we produced 16 per cent of the UK’s renewable electricity – enough to power four million households.

We received 10 per cent of the government support paid to renewable generators in 2016 – 16 per cent of the power for 10 per cent of the cost.

When taking all costs into account, research shows sustainable biomass is the most cost effective renewable - so as well as reducing emissions, it is helping us to keep the lights on and costs down.

While our coal units are still needed at critical times today, we are committed to a coal-free future at Drax and continue to explore innovative ways to do this.

Andy Koss, CEO, Drax Power, Selby