Amid plans to build up to 100 new data centres across Britain, Strathclyde has emerged as a flagship Scottish site, signalling a transformative moment in the UK’s digital infrastructure strategy. The new centre will be located at the M74 Central Eco Park, with additional sites planned at Coalburn and Lanark.
Plans were submitted for the site, which includes a 7.5MW gas turbine unit, a 12MW solar farm and an industrial park, by C Capital (London) Limited.
According to the analysis, outline planning for the newbuild has been granted, with construction to start in August next year. The documents said construction was due to finish in August 2029.
Industry leaders say Scotland is uniquely suited for hosting large-scale data facilities thanks to its surplus of green energy and secure grid access. Giles Hanglin, Chief Executive Officer of Apatura, commented:
“Scotland offers a natural solution, with sites close to onshore and offshore renewables, where data centres can thrive on clean power while contributing to a flexible, resilient grid, The race to build new data centre infrastructure is set to create new jobs, expand the country’s digital economy, and make the UK more competitive worldwide.”
Work is already underway to develop what has been referred to as the largest battery storage facility in Europe, located in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire. The developers, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, indicated that the two substantial adjacent battery farms, situated on the grounds of a former open-cast coal mine, will have the capacity to store enough electricity to supply three million households.
Planning specialists estimate that there are around 477 data centres throughout the UK. The majority of new facilities are expected to be constructed within the next five years, with over half of them slated for London and its surrounding areas.
Many of these projects are funded by American technology behemoths like Google and Microsoft, along with significant investment firms.
Some analyses suggest that the UK currently ranks as the third-largest country for data centres, following the United States and Germany.
There are growing concerns regarding the ecological consequences of these structures, with the largest involving the construction of ten massive buildings spanning 540,000 square meters in Blyth, close to Newcastle.
Planning proposals for the Strathclyde centre have been submitted, with local and national agencies touting the sites’ readiness to deliver large-scale, state-of-the-art hosting for critical UK data.
