Drax, Brookfield plan AI data centre at North Yorkshire site

Drax has agreed with Brookfield and Radiant to develop an AI data centre at its North Yorkshire power-station site, in a project Brookfield estimates could attract more than £20 billion in total investment. The partners describe the development as a phased plan, not a fully approved or completed project. The first phase is designed for about 100 megawatts of computing capacity, with commercial operations targeted for the first quarter of 2028. Brookfield estimates this phase would involve an initial £2.5 billion. The target depends on planning, regulatory and network approvals, securing a suitable tenant, commercial agreements and each partner’s final investment decision, Drax said. The full development is designed to exceed one gigawatt. Drax has described a further 500 MW as an ambition for Phase 2 between 2028 and 2031, subject to consents, with potential for further development afterward. The figures represent the partners’ plans and estimates; they do not establish that the investment or capacity has been secured. The site is an operating power station with access to four gigawatts of grid power and 2.6 gigawatts of dispatchable generation, according to Drax. The first...