Scotland AI datacentre misrepresented power plans, investigation finds

Power promises fall short at flagship UK AI site

An £8.2 billion AI datacentre complex in Lanarkshire, Scotland—one of five designated UK AI growth zones—has no realistic path to delivering the renewable energy supply it publicly promised, according to internal government documents and planning records reviewed by The Guardian.

When announced in January, the project developed by US firm CoreWeave and Scottish company DataVita pledged to generate up to 1 gigawatt of power entirely from on-site renewables by 2030. That capacity equals roughly what a small nuclear reactor produces, or enough electricity for 800,000 Scottish homes.

Freedom of information requests obtained by The Guardian reveal that government officials and developers privately acknowledged a "power provision" problem even as they made public commitments. The UK government has now confirmed the site will connect to the national grid—either joining an eight- to ten-year queue or receiving expedited treatment ahead of hundreds of other projects.

The renewable energy gap

DataVita claims it will power the Airdrie site with more than 1GW of renewable energy, including 400MW of solar and 800MW of wind. That wind capacity alone would exceed Whitelee, currently the UK's largest onshore wind farm, by 50 percent.

Yet DataVita's existing datacentres in Glasgow and Chapelhall currently draw just 25MW from the grid combined. The company did not confirm whether any dedicated renewable installations currently exist.

Analysis by Action to Protect Rural Scotland, reviewed by an energy consultant, indicates DataVita would need between 40 and 100 square kilometers of land to meet its stated renewable targets. Current planning applications cover roughly 2 square kilometers. Recent plans filed by DataVita's parent company HfD Group propose "up to 19" wind turbines—which would deliver only 5 percent of the claimed generation capacity.

Government criteria overlooked

The AI growth zone designation required applicants to demonstrate either an allocated grid connection or a viable "behind-the-meter" solution for independent power generation. Documents show Lanarkshire met neither requirement.

In February, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney wrote to DataVita acknowledging "power provision remains a key issue" and promising to work toward "timely grid connections." March meeting notes show DataVita expecting an expedited 2027 connection from Scottish Power.

One UK engineering consultant who has advised AI growth zone projects told The Guardian that government scrutiny appears inadequate: "The figures and designs behind many schemes are at best indicative, and at worst complete bunk."

Why it matters

The Lanarkshire case exposes a fundamental tension in national AI strategies: political ambitions for rapid infrastructure deployment colliding with physical and regulatory realities. AI datacentres require extraordinary power—the global buildout now totals hundreds of billions of dollars based on assumptions that may not hold. If flagship government-backed projects cannot secure viable energy sources, questions multiply about whether the broader AI infrastructure boom is sustainable or represents what some analysts call "phantom investments." The UK faces particular challenges with Europe's highest electricity costs and a decade-long grid connection backlog affecting housing and healthcare as well as technology projects.

DataVita stated its energy strategy depends on "final commercial agreements, planning, grid and consenting processes." A government spokesperson said the project remains "on track" and called it critical to UK prosperity and security.

These details were first reported by The Guardian.