Drax was initially conceived by the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1962 as the country's largest power station thus far, at about 3,000 MW.
Subsequently, it was decided to use this opportunity as their first station to use the 660 MW turbogenerator sets which planned to become the new standard, so the planning consents were revised to about 4,000 MW.

Following the Selby Coalfield discovery in 1967 the Board would build three large power stations to use its coal.
These were an expansion of the station at Ferrybridge, a new station at Eggborough, and the largest being Drax.
Drax was initially conceived by the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1962 as the country's largest power station thus far, at about 3,000 MW. Subsequently, it was decided to use this opportunity as their first station to use the 660 MW turbogenerator sets which planned to become the new standard, so the planning consents were revised to about 4,000 MW.
Following the Selby Coalfield discovery in 1967 the Board would build three large power stations to use its coal. These were an expansion of the station at Ferrybridge, a new station at Eggborough, and the largest being Drax.
Drax Power Station