Scottish Greens condemn plans for world’s biggest AI data centre campus in Dumfries and Galloway
The world’s largest data centre campus must not be built in Scotland, say the Scottish Greens.
The call comes in response to a planning application lodged for a colossal site at Chapelcross in Dumfries and Galloway.
If approved, the data centre would have a capacity of 1GW - bigger than any other data centre in the world. If operated at full capacity, the facility would use 7 million MWh of energy a year, equivalent to the energy used by over two million homes.
The developer’s own environmental impact assessment states that the facility would have a “moderate adverse and significant” impact on the environment. Emissions from the site would exceed the legal limit for greenhouse gas emissions in Dumfries and Galloway by almost double when fully operational.
If it goes ahead, the proposal would put a massive strain on Scotland’s energy grid, with households facing rising costs as energy demand spikes. Local campaigners are concerned that the proposal would destroy the rural landscape in Dumfries and Galloway by building in the green space north of the decommissioned nuclear station at Chapelcross.
Scottish Greens MSP for South Scotland Laura Moodie said:
“This is one of the most seriously concerning data centre applications to date. The proposed site alone would use an unsustainably high amount of energy.
“While household energy bills keep going up, hyperscale data centres will only make that worse. The average household in Ireland now pays an extra £300 a year on energy, because of data centres. At the same time, tech giants and billionaires are making huge profits off of these applications.
“Just last week, the Scottish Greens forced a vote to hit the brakes on new applications and decisions on live proposals until full environmental impact assessments and a coherent national strategy had been completed.
“The Scottish Government stated that no decisions will be reached before the end of the year, and that they will have guidance in place by December. But now we are seeing the possibility of the world’s largest data centre campus setting up in my region, with the community given just weeks to respond.
“The site at Chapelcross should be the best place to put a data centre by utilising a decommissioned brownfield site. But the proposal which has been lodged is reckless and endangers our energy supply and natural environment. Until we have a clear national strategy from the Government, this proposal cannot proceed.
“This application must be rejected because of the risks and consequences it could bring to our energy grid and our rural communities.”