acewhether the Lanarkshire AI datacentre complex can be powered entirely by new on-site renewable energy as promised
Source article: Revealed: landmark Scottish AI project has no prospect of meeting renewables promise
A landmark AI development billed as delivering jobs and prosperity has misrepresented its plans to channel a nuclear reactor’s worth of power to a site in rural Scotland, a Guardian investigation has found. When it was announced in January, the government promised that an £8.2bn AI datacentre complex in Lanarkshire – built by the US firm CoreWeave and the Scottish company DataVita – would be powered entirely from on-site renewables and built by 2030. The AI datacentre complex represented a large part of Britain’…
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A Guardian investigation published 6 July 2026 examined the £8.2bn Lanarkshire AI datacentre complex in Airdrie, developed by CoreWeave and DataVita and announced in January as the first UK AI growth zone to be powered entirely from on-site renewables by 2030. Documents obtained through freedom of information and analysis of planning records indicate the project lacks the land, installed renewables, and grid-independent solution to meet its 1GW claim.
The case matters because AI growth zones were required to show a realistic path to powering themselves, either via an allotted grid connection or behind-the-meter generation, and power costs and connection delays are a central constraint on UK AI buildout. What remains uncertain is whether an expedited grid connection will be granted, how much renewable capacity can ultimately secure planning and commercial agreements, and whether gas or grid power will fill the gap.
- The complex is an £8.2bn development in Lanarkshire built by CoreWeave and DataVita, designated as one of five UK AI growth zones.
- DataVita claims more than 1GW of renewables including 400MW solar and 800MW wind, described as equivalent to a small nuclear reactor.
- Current operational DataVita sites in Glasgow and Chapelhall draw roughly 25MW from the grid, with no evidence of 1GW private-wire renewables installed.
- Analysis based on Action to Protect Rural Scotland figures suggests the renewable plan would need 40 to 100 sq km, while planning applications cover roughly 2 sq km.
The Lanarkshire AI datacentre complex was presented as delivering jobs and prosperity while being powered entirely from on-site renewables with up to 1GW of new energy infrastructure by 2030.
The Lanarkshire AI datacentre complex has no prospect of meeting its promise of 1GW on-site renewable power, faces an acknowledged power provision issue, and will need to connect to the grid instead of operating behind-the-meter.
The rundown
Internal correspondence obtained via FoI showed officials privately acknowledging an issue with power provision even as public statements promised up to 1GW of new energy infrastructure. Scotland's first minister wrote that power provision remains a key issue and that timely grid connections would be pursued.
The UK has an eight- to 10-year queue for new grid connections, and the government said the site would now connect to the grid and be met overwhelmingly with renewables. DataVita's parent HfD Group posted plans for up to 19 wind turbines, estimated to provide about 5% of the claimed generation.
Land and energy estimates are based on third-party analysis and the project's delivery remains contingent on future approvals, so the shortfall is an assessed prospect rather than a final built outcome.
Sources
- JournalismThe Guardian2026-07-06
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