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

DataVita changed the proposed power arrangement for its Lanarkshire AI datacentre. Earlier, it promised more than 1GW of wind, solar and battery capacity connected directly to the site through private wires. It now says the datacentres will be “fully grid served.” This matters because the original renewable-power claim helped support the project’s image as a green part of Britain’s AI strategy.

The company says its grid electricity will be covered by a renewable power purchase agreement. That means DataVita would buy power under a contract linked to renewable generation, while the electricity physically reaching the site would travel through the National Grid. It also says a proposed North Lanarkshire wind and solar park could connect later.

The project’s renewable commitment is therefore presented differently, not removed entirely. DataVita says its commitment is unchanged, but the earlier private-wire promise has been replaced by grid supply. The change may increase scrutiny because Britain already faces high energy costs and years-long waits for new grid connections.

A datacentre that is “fully grid served” gets its physical electricity from the wider national transmission and distribution system. It is not supplied directly by a dedicated private wire from a particular windfarm, solar park or battery facility. This distinction matters because electricity on the grid is shared across many users, rather than travelling from one named generator straight to one datacentre.

DataVita’s earlier plan described more than 1GW of renewable capacity connected directly to its datacentres through private wires. Its revised plan says the sites will be grid served instead. The company says it will use a renewable power purchase agreement, which links its purchases to renewable generation even though the physical electrons arrive through the grid.

The project could still connect to proposed wind and solar facilities in North Lanarkshire later. For now, however, the National Grid is the stated physical supply route. That makes the development dependent on grid capacity and Britain’s already lengthy connection process.

The Lanarkshire development is planned as a 500MW datacentre, according to the article. DataVita also said the project would draw 1GW from green sources. These figures describe the project’s very large electricity needs and its proposed renewable supply capacity, though they are not identical measures. The scale helps explain why connecting the site is a major infrastructure challenge.

DataVita compared 1GW with the output of a small nuclear reactor and Britain’s largest windfarm. It originally claimed that more than 1GW of wind, solar and battery capacity would be delivered through private wires to the datacentres. The company later changed the proposal, saying the sites would be fully served by the grid.

The distinction is important. The 500MW figure describes the planned datacentre’s capacity, while 1GW was used for the promised renewable-energy provision. The article says the project was expected to bring 3,400 jobs, but it also notes high British energy prices and long waits for grid connections.

DataVita originally promised more than 1GW of renewable capacity connected directly to the Lanarkshire datacentres. The planned sources included wind, solar and battery storage. Calling these private-wire connections suggested that renewable facilities would be physically linked to the development, rather than merely supplying power somewhere into the wider electricity system.

The promise fitted the government’s plan to build large AI datacentres in designated zones across Britain. Developers were expected to receive incentives, potentially including energy discounts and faster planning approvals. DataVita’s project was presented as an important Lanarkshire AI growth zone and was linked to claims of economic transformation for Chapelhall and 3,400 jobs.

The arrangement was later revised after questions about whether the renewable provision was realistic. DataVita now says the datacentres will be fully grid served. It maintains that its renewable commitment is unchanged, but says wind and solar connections could happen in the future rather than forming the site’s original direct supply.

A renewable power purchase agreement is a long-term commercial contract in which a buyer agrees to purchase electricity, or its associated renewable supply, from a generator. It can help a company claim that its electricity use supports renewable generation. The agreement does not necessarily mean that power from a particular windfarm travels directly to the buyer’s facility.

Under DataVita’s revised plan, electricity would physically reach the datacentres through the National Grid. The company says that grid supply would be covered by a renewable power purchase agreement. In practice, the grid combines electricity from many generators, so the site receives power through the shared system rather than a dedicated private wire.

This explains how DataVita can describe the datacentres as grid served while still promising largely renewable electricity. However, the arrangement differs from its earlier statement that more than 1GW of wind, solar and battery capacity would connect directly to the site. The article reports that future direct connections remain possible through proposed North Lanarkshire projects.

AI datacentres are among the most energy-intensive buildings ever created. Their computing systems need a steady electricity supply, not power that falls whenever renewable generation drops. Wind and solar output changes with weather and daylight, so renewable sources alone may not guarantee continuous operation without storage or another dependable supply.

The Lanarkshire project illustrates the issue. DataVita first described more than 1GW of wind, solar and battery capacity connected directly to the site. It now says the datacentres will be fully grid served, with renewable power purchased through an agreement. The grid can provide a continuous shared supply when individual renewable sources are insufficient.

This reliability requirement helps explain the change in plans. Kat Jones of Action to Protect Rural Scotland said hyperscale AI datacentres “absolutely need a highly reliable source of grid power.” The article also notes that UK energy costs are high and new developments may wait years for grid connections, creating further challenges for large AI projects.

DataVita’s change could create difficulties for Britain’s AI growth-zone strategy. The government planned to encourage massive datacentres with incentives such as possible energy discounts and faster planning. If projects cannot secure affordable, reliable power, their promised economic benefits and delivery schedules become less certain. DataVita’s earlier renewable claims are also likely to face greater scrutiny.

The Lanarkshire project was associated with 3,400 jobs and a 500MW datacentre. It was also expected to draw extremely large amounts of electricity, while Britain has higher energy costs than most of Europe. The revised grid-based plan means the site depends on grid capacity, even though UK developments already face waits lasting years for connections.

DataVita remains in receipt of £202m in public wealth guarantees from Britain’s national wealth fund. The article does not say these guarantees will be withdrawn or changed. However, the revised power plan could prompt questions about whether the project can deliver its stated scale, jobs and economic transformation, and whether public support is justified.