Technology news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Drax plans £20bn North Yorkshire data centre with Brookfield
Drax has announced plans with Brookfield and its UK AI infrastructure business Radiant for a £20 billion data centre at its biomass power station in North Yorkshire. If built at the scale proposed, the facility could use more than a gigawatt of electricity, making it a major addition to Britain’s data centre capacity and raising questions about power supply and local impacts.
The project would begin with up to 100MW by early 2028, backed by a proposed £2.5 billion investment, then potentially add 500MW between 2028 and 2031 and expand further. Drax says its site has 4GW of grid access, existing generation and cooling infrastructure, and could supply up to 500MW directly, but the plans still need permissions, approvals, funding decisions and a customer. Redirecting generation under Drax’s government-backed biomass contract also requires approval; the companies promise a community benefits fund and say consultation will start this month.
In short
- Drax proposes a data centre that could eventually use over 1GW.
- The first phase targets up to 100MW by early 2028.
- Planning, approvals, investment and a tenant are still needed.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The project could attract substantial investment, create skilled jobs and strengthen Britain’s capacity to support AI and other data-intensive services. Drax’s existing power, grid and cooling infrastructure may make the site a practical place to expand that capacity, while a community fund could help local people share in the benefits.
The case against
A facility of this scale could place significant new demands on electricity supplies and bring local effects that need careful scrutiny. Because the plans depend on approvals, funding and a customer, and may involve redirecting generation covered by a government-backed contract, critics could reasonably question whether the public interest and community benefits are clear enough to justify proceeding.
Explained simply
Drax is an energy company whose North Yorkshire site includes a large power station that burns biomass, such as wood pellets. Brookfield is an investment group, and Radiant is its UK business focused on infrastructure for artificial intelligence. Data centres house the computers and equipment used to store data and run online services and AI.
These facilities need reliable electricity and cooling, so their location and power supply can affect energy networks and nearby communities. Drax says its site has grid access, power generation and cooling infrastructure, but the proposed project would still need permissions, funding, a customer and approvals for changes to how some generation is used.
AI Government Politics Technology UK World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Register as “Drax wants to feed Britain’s AI habit with £20B datacenter at biomass power station”.