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Lanarkshire AI datacentre to fully rely on National Grid despite renewables claim

A datacentre company that said it would power a massive AI development near Glasgow with renewable energy has admitted that the scheme will be entirely served by the National Grid. DataVita, a key plank of the UK’s AI strategy, had promised that the Lanarkshire project would draw 1GW – the equivalent output of a small nuclear reactor, or Britain’s largest windfarm – from green sources. But when the Guardian raised questions about the pledge, it said the arrangement was “subject to final commercial agreements, pl…

Truvace record3 min read1 sourceEvidence: Moderate · 55/100 — Investigative reporting · 1 independent sourceJournalismTRV-2026-2411 · cite or check it
Lanarkshire AI datacentre to fully rely on National Grid despite renewables claim

In brief

DataVita, the datacentre company behind a planned AI development at Chapelhall near Airdrie, has admitted the Lanarkshire project will be entirely served by the National Grid. It had earlier promised that the site would draw 1GW from green sources, the output of a small nuclear reactor or Britain's largest windfarm.

The revision came after the Guardian raised questions. The company now describes the datacentres as "fully grid served", with solar and windfarms that "could connect in the future". It says the grid power will be largely renewable and will come through a renewable power purchase agreement.

The change matters because the site is a key part of the UK's AI strategy of datacentre zones with incentives such as possible energy discounts and faster planning. DataVita holds £202m in wealth guarantees from the national wealth fund and was meant to bring 3,400 jobs with a 500MW datacentre. Whether the site gets grid capacity or the promised wind and solar park remains unresolved.

Main points

  1. DataVita earlier promised more than 1GW of renewable capacity, including wind, solar and battery storage, through private wire connections linked to the datacentres.
  2. The company now says the datacentres are being designed to be grid served, with its supply coming through a renewable power purchase agreement.
  3. DataVita says it has not misrepresented its plans and that its commitment to renewable energy is unchanged.
  4. The company holds £202m of public money in wealth guarantees from Britain's national wealth fund.
  5. The project was supposed to bring 3,400 jobs to Lanarkshire through a 500MW datacentre.
  6. Kat Jones of Action to Protect Rural Scotland said hyperscale AI datacentres cannot run on renewable power alone and need reliable grid power.

The problem

DataVita, which had promised more than 1GW of renewable capacity via private wires for its Lanarkshire AI datacentres, now says they will be "fully grid served" while still holding £202m in public wealth guarantees.

The full story

The original pledge said more than 1GW of renewable capacity would be delivered through private wire connections directly linked to the datacentres. When the Guardian asked about it, DataVita said the arrangement was "subject to final commercial agreements, planning, grid and consenting processes". It has since changed the wording of its plan.

The site is meant to be an AI growth zone in Lanarkshire under a strategy of building large datacentres across the country, with developers potentially getting energy discounts and expedited planning. The Guardian reports that this strategy began to founder just over a year after it was announced, as investigations found little solidity behind many announced plans.

The article says AI datacentres are among the most energy-intensive structures ever built, that UK energy costs are higher than in most of Europe, and that UK developments face a years-long wait to connect to the grid. Two key UK AI investments are described as on shaky ground over their ability to power themselves or pay the energy costs.

DataVita left open connecting to a wind and solar park it proposes to build in North Lanarkshire. Jones said the shift was "emblematic of the hyperbolic claims being made by datacentre developers in Scotland".

Sources

  1. JournalismThe Guardian2026-11-07

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