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UK’s most polluting power plant could power country’s largest AI datacentre
Drax has agreed to work with Brookfield and Radiant on a £20bn plan to build a large AI datacentre at its North Yorkshire power station. The project could give the site a new role as ministers plan to reduce its importance in electricity generation, while supporting jobs and the UK’s AI infrastructure.
The first phase could open in early 2028 with up to 100MW of computing capacity; eventual capacity is planned to exceed 1GW. Drax would initially provide land and grid access, and hopes to supply power directly by the early 2030s. The plant burns biomass and is identified by analysts as the UK’s largest CO₂ emitter, though those emissions are excluded from government accounting; the deal also comes amid reduced subsidies and questions about how datacentres can be powered within climate targets.
In short
- Drax plans a £20bn AI datacentre at its North Yorkshire site.
- The first phase could operate from early 2028.
- Grid constraints and climate targets complicate future power supply.
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The case for
The project could turn an existing power-station site and grid connection into valuable AI infrastructure, attract substantial investment and support jobs as Drax’s role in electricity generation declines. Supporters could argue that locating computing capacity alongside a potential direct power supply may help meet growing demand while giving the UK greater control over infrastructure important to its economy and security.
The case against
Critics could argue that expanding a datacentre at a plant identified as the UK’s largest CO₂ emitter risks prolonging reliance on biomass and adding substantial electricity demand when the country must meet climate targets. They may also question whether public policy should facilitate a project whose power supply and emissions remain uncertain, particularly when the plant’s emissions are excluded from government accounting.
Explained simply
Drax is a power station in North Yorkshire that burns biomass, mainly wood pellets, to generate electricity. Biomass is treated differently from fossil fuels in some government emissions accounting, but analysts identify Drax as the UK’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions.
Brookfield is an investment group and Radiant is a technology company; Drax owns the power station site. A datacentre houses the computers and equipment used to run digital services, including artificial intelligence. These facilities need substantial amounts of electricity and connections to the power grid.
The site’s future matters as ministers plan to reduce Drax’s role in electricity generation and the station faces lower subsidies. The proposal links questions about jobs and the UK’s computing capacity with the challenge of supplying energy while meeting climate targets.
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