One of the UK’s largest data centres could be built at Drax Power Station, its CEO has said, after the company secured £20bn backing for the project.
Drax said it had teamed up with Qatar-based Qai and infrastructure company Brookfield, with a view to having the centre, near Selby, operational by 2028.
Government ministers said the investment would bring economic growth and protect national interests.
However, Owen Espley, community campaigns manager for environmental charity Global Action Plan, said the extra demand on power would “make it impossible” to meet clean energy targets.
According to the plans, the centre would use 100MW electricity from early 2028, expanding to 500MW over the following three years, with further expansion in the 2030s.
The partnership companies said the project aligns with the government’s Data Centre Covenant, externalan initiative to increase AI capacity in the UK.
Drax Group CEO, Will Gardiner, said: “This country has a unique opportunity to bring together AI leadership, energy infrastructure and industrial renewal to drive national growth.
“If constructed in full, this project could become one of the largest data centres in the UK, attracting billions in inward investment, supporting the north’s reindustrialisation and strengthening sovereign AI capability.
“Drax Power Station is one of the few UK sites that can provide large-scale reliable power directly to data centre customers by utilising existing and underutilised generation capacity.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
