● Covered by 1 source · 3 reportsMedium impact3 negative
Proposed London Datacenter Project Faces Scrutiny Over High Carbon Emissions
Key points
- EHDCC would emit 1.2 million tonnes of CO2e annually.
- The project requires 218 hectares of green belt land.
- It would consume 2.65 billion kWh of electricity per year.
- Major National Grid upgrades are needed for power connection by 2033.
- Wapseys Wood and Quest Park datacentres will produce over 4.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
- ExxonMobil's 2023 UK emissions were 3.9 million tonnes.
- Wapseys Wood and Quest Park datacentres will use 1.3GW of power.
- 315 datacentres are in the queue to connect to the UK's electricity grid.
- Datacentres in the queue represent 73GW of demand.
- Wapseys Wood and Quest Park datacentres plan to build on-site gas-fired power stations.
- UK government does not track specific uses of datacentres.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology stated it did not hold the requested information.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been dissolved.
- Ministers announced plans in January to allow qualifying datacentres to opt into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme.
- The Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme lets developments bypass local planning committees.
Proposed Datacenter's Environmental Impact
Planning documents reveal that the East Havering Data Centre Campus (EHDCC), a proposed "hyperscale" datacenter in North Ockendon, London, is estimated to generate over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. This figure is comparable to the carbon footprint of 27,000 flights between London and New York. Over its projected 60-year lifespan, the development is expected to produce more than 72 million tonnes of CO₂e.
Developer Acknowledges Non-Alignment with Net Zero
Digital Reef, the developer behind the £14.7 billion project, stated in its planning application that the EHDCC "does not align with a science-based 1.5C compatible trajectory and achieving net zero by 2050." This admission highlights the significant environmental challenge posed by the large-scale datacenter, which would be one of Europe's largest if approved.
High Electricity Consumption and Infrastructure Demands
The EHDCC is projected to consume 2.65 billion kWh of electricity per year at a 50% load, which is equivalent to the annual demand of over 1 million UK households. To power this facility, a substantial 600MVA connection to the National Grid is required. This necessitates major infrastructure upgrades, including a new 400kV National Grid substation and a 132kV UK Power Networks facility, with full connection anticipated by 2033.
Concerns from Advocacy Groups and Local Residents
Donald Campbell, advocacy director at Foxglove, described the projected emissions as "staggering" and a "big threat to the ability to decarbonise in the UK." He also noted concerns about the datacenter's drain on essential resources. Additionally, local residents have voiced opposition, with the North Ockendon Residents Association calling the development a "massacre" of green belt land, which is currently used for crop production.
Updates
- UK government does not track specific uses of datacentres.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology stated it did not hold the requested information.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been dissolved.
- Ministers announced plans in January to allow qualifying datacentres to opt into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme.
- The Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme lets developments bypass local planning committees.
- Wapseys Wood and Quest Park datacentres will produce over 4.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
- ExxonMobil's 2023 UK emissions were 3.9 million tonnes.
- Wapseys Wood and Quest Park datacentres will use 1.3GW of power.
- 315 datacentres are in the queue to connect to the UK's electricity grid.
- Datacentres in the queue represent 73GW of demand.
- Wapseys Wood and Quest Park datacentres plan to build on-site gas-fired power stations.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
A Freedom of Information request revealed the UK government does not track the specific uses of datacentres, despite growing environmental concerns related to their resource consumption and the AI boom. This lack of oversight comes as hundreds of new datacentres seek planning permission and grid connections, raising questions about transparency and justification for these projects.
Analysis by Foxglove indicates that two planned datacenters in England, Wapseys Wood and Quest Park, could produce over 4.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, surpassing ExxonMobil's 2023 UK emissions of 3.9 million tonnes. This projection highlights a significant environmental concern regarding the energy demands of new datacenters in the UK and their potential impact on climate goals.
A proposed "hyperscale" datacenter in outer London, the East Havering Data Centre Campus (EHDCC), is projected to generate 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually once fully operational, equivalent to 27,000 flights from London to New York. The developer, Digital Reef, stated the project does not align with net-zero goals, raising concerns about its environmental impact and electricity consumption.