Government ministers say the investment in Drax, which is on the border of the East Riding and North Yorkshire, would protect national interests. But environmental campaigners are warning the ambitious ‘hyperscale’ plans would place extra demand on power and water supplies
Drax power station near Selby, North Yorkshire(Image: PA)
One of the UK’s largest data centres could be built at Drax Power Station, after the company secured £20bn backing for the project. The huge infrastructure project could be up and running in just two years time as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) services in the UK increases.
Government ministers say the investment in Drax, which is right on the border of the East Riding and North Yorkshire, would bring economic growth and protect national interests. But environmental campaigners are warning the ambitious ‘hyperscale’ plans would place extra demand on power and water supplies – making it almost impossible to meet sustainability targets.
Drax chiefs say they have teamed up with Qatar-based Qai and infrastructure company Brookfield to deliver the plan. It would align with the Labour government’s new Data Centre Covenant which is aiming to rapidly increase AI capacity in the UK.
If it goes ahead it could attract investment and boost the north’s reindustrialisation, according to Drax Group CEO, Will Gardiner. “This country has a unique opportunity to bring together AI leadership, energy infrastructure and industrial renewal to drive national growth,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Gardiner added: “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.”
Drax has been identified because it is in a unique position to deliver the huge amounts of power the project would need. The power station is at the heart of UK energy security and has supported the country’s growth for more than 50 years.
Investment in the full North Yorkshire development could exceed £20billion, making it one of the most significant energy and AI projects in Europe.
A formal planning process will soon begin
A local community consultation will launch soon, and Drax is hoping to start the formal planning process in the coming months. Progression will rely not just on planning approval, the project will also need the required regulatory and network approvals from the government.
A huge challenge will be the amount of power and water required, explained East Riding Of Yorkshire Council’s Cllr David Jeffreys. He represents the nearby Goole South ward and has a specialism in planning.
“The issue is the sheer amount of power required, especially in the current climate of unrest and the present situation of climate change and longer drier summers,” he said. “The reservoirs are not keeping up with demand at the moment – how are they planning to address this? This will be the same problem wherever this data centre is built.”
The power station estate comprises 1,000 acres and 4GW of grid access, with 2.6GW of active dispatchable generation and cooling systems. The site also benefits from its proximity to the UK fibre network, making it ideal for faster and more certain development of data centres.
According to the plans, the centre would use 100MW of electricity from early 2028, expanding to 500MW over the following three years, with further expansion in the 2030s.
The UK Government is clear that countries able to host and power data centres will be better placed to protect their sovereignty, strengthen economic resilience, capture the benefits of the digital economy and shape the future of AI.
But the pace of change is worrying many local campaigners. Jamie Strudwick, Chair of the Hull and East Riding Green Party, explained: “Investment in the region and the creation of good, secure jobs is always welcome. However, Drax has serious questions to answer about the environmental consequences of this development.
“We must ensure that economic growth doesn’t come at the expense of our climate commitments. More broadly, the rapid development of AI across the world is concerning when there remains a lack of regulation and accountability.”
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Global controversy surrounds hyperscale data centre schemes
Data centres – especially of this scale – are hugely controversial. Many political commentators believe they contributed to Donald Trump’s poor performance in recent American midterm elections.
And across Europe a massive weekend of protest is scheduled to take place against ‘hyper-scale’ datacentres between November 6th and 7th. The campaign group called Stop Dirty Data Centres is ‘calling for an immediate moratorium on large data centres in Europe’.
A voluntary community benefits fund, developed in consultation with communities around the Drax Power Station site, could be developed as part of the plan.
The investment could mean the East Riding and North Yorkshire playing a key role in powering a global industrial revolution, according to Northern Powerhouse Partnership Chief Executive, Henri Murison.
“Data Centres are a critical opportunity for a thriving, modern economy, and by repurposing Drax Power Station to power the next industrial revolution, this provides the opportunity in the most suitable location available to create skilled jobs, boost supply chains, whilst delivering sovereign AI here in Yorkshire,” he said.
“This partnership between Drax and Brookfield is a clear signal of the strength of our region, bringing together leadership in AI alongside vital energy infrastructure to help enable wider re-industrialisation in the North.”
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