The Anonymous Widower

How Will The UK Power All These Proposed Data Centres?

On Wednesday, a cardiologist friend asked me if we have enough power to do Trump’s UK AI, so I felt this post might be a good idea.

Artificial Intelligence Gave This Answer

I first asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this reply.

The UK will power proposed data centres using a mix of grid-supplied low-carbon electricity from sources like offshore wind and through on-site renewable generation, such as rooftop solar panels. Data centre operators are also exploring behind-the-meter options, including battery storage and potential future nuclear power, to meet their significant and growing energy demands. However, the UK’s grid infrastructure and high energy prices present challenges, with industry calls for grid reform and inclusion in energy-intensive industry support schemes to facilitate sustainable growth.

Google also pointed me at the article on the BBC, which is entitled Data Centres To Be Expanded Across UK As Concerns Mount.

This is the sub-heading.

The number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost a fifth, according to figures shared with BBC News.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services from movie streaming to online banking – there are currently an estimated 477 of them in the UK.

Construction researchers Barbour ABI have analysed planning documents and say that number is set to jump by almost 100, as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power.

The majority are due to be built in the next five years. However, there are concerns about the huge amount of energy and water the new data centres will consume.

Where Are The Data Centres To Be Built?

The BBC article gives this summary of the locations.

More than half of the new data centres would be in London and neighbouring counties.

Many are privately funded by US tech giants such as Google and Microsoft and major investment firms.

A further nine are planned in Wales, one in Scotland, five in Greater Manchester and a handful in other parts of the UK, the data shows.

While the new data centres are mostly due for completion by 2030, the biggest single one planned would come later – a £10bn AI data centre in Blyth, near Newcastle, for the American private investment and wealth management company Blackstone Group.

It would involve building 10 giant buildings covering 540,000 square metres – the size of several large shopping centres – on the site of the former Blyth Power Station.

Work is set to begin in 2031 and last for more than three years.

Microsoft is planning four new data centres in the UK at a total cost of £330m, with an estimated completion between 2027 and 2029 – two in the Leeds area, one near Newport in Wales, and a five-storey site in Acton, north-west London.

And Google is building a data centre in Hertfordshire, an investment worth £740m, which it says will use air to cool its servers rather than water.

There is a map of the UK, with dots showing data centres everywhere.

One will certainly be coming to a suitable space near you.

Concerns Over Energy Needs

These three paragraphs from the BBC article, talk about the concerns about energy needs.

According to the National Energy System Operator, NESO, the projected growth of data centres in Great Britain could “add up to 71 TWh of electricity demand” in the next 25 years, which it says redoubles the need for clean power – such as offshore wind.

Bruce Owen, regional president of data centre operator Equinix, said the UK’s high energy costs, as well as concerns around lengthy planning processes, were prompting some operators to consider building elsewhere.

“If I want to build a new data centre here within the UK, we’re talking five to seven years before I even have planning permission or access to power in order to do that,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

But in Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I calculated that by 2030 we will add these yearly additions of offshore wind power.

  • 2025 – 1,235 MW
  • 2026 – 4,807 MW
  • 2027 – 5,350 MW
  • 2028 – 4,998 MW
  • 2029 – 9,631 MW
  • 2030 – 15,263 MW

Note.

  1. I have used pessimistic dates.
  2. There are likely to be more announcements of offshore wind power in the sea around the UK, in the coming months.
  3. As an example in Cerulean Winds Submits 1 GW Aspen Offshore Wind Project In Scotland (UK), I talk about 3 GW of offshore wind, that is not included in my yearly totals.
  4. The yearly totals add up to a total of 58,897 MW.

For solar power, I just asked Google AI and received this answer.

The UK government aims to have between 45 and 47 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity by 2030. This goal is set out in the Solar Roadmap and aims to reduce energy bills and support the UK’s clean power objectives. The roadmap includes measures like installing solar on new homes and buildings, exploring solar carports, and improving access to rooftop solar for renters.

Let’s assume that we only achieve the lowest value of 45 GW.

But that will still give us at least 100 GW of renewable zero-carbon power.

What will happen if the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine?

I have also written about nuclear developments, that were announced during Trump’s visit.

This is an impressive array of nuclear power, that should be able to fill in most of the weather-induced gaps.

In Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I also summarise energy storage.

For pumped storage hydro, I asked Google AI and received this answer.

The UK’s pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity is projected to more than double by 2030, with six projects in Scotland, including Coire Glas and Cruachan 2, potentially increasing capacity to around 7.7 GW from the current approximately 3 GW. This would be a significant step towards meeting the National Grid’s required 13 GW of new energy storage by 2030, though achieving this depends on policy support and investment.

There will also be smaller lithium-ion batteries and long duration energy storage from companies like Highview Power.

But I believe there will be another source of energy that will ensure that the UK achieves energy security.

SSE’s Next Generation Power Stations

So far two of these power stations have been proposed.

  • Keadby will be 900 MW and has this web site.
  • Ferrybridge will be 1200 MW and has this web site.

Note.

  1. Both power stations are being designed so they can run on natural gas, 100 % hydrogen or a blend of natural gas and hydrogen.
  2. Keadby will share a site with three natural gas-powered power stations and be connected to the hydrogen storage at Aldbrough, so both fuels will be available.
  3. Ferrybridge will be the first gas/hydrogen power station on the Ferrybridge site and will have its own natural gas connection.
  4. How Ferrybridge will receive hydrogen has still to be decided.
  5. In Hydrogen Milestone: UK’s First Hydrogen-to-Power Trial At Brigg Energy Park, I describe how Centrica tested Brigg gas-fired power station on a hydrogen blend.
  6. The power stations will initially run on natural gas and then gradually switch over to lower carbon fuels, once delivery of the hydrogen has been solved for each site.

On Thursday, I went to see SSE’s consultation at Knottingley for the Ferrybridge power station, which I wrote about in Visiting The Consultation For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station At Knottingley.

In the related post, I proposed using special trains to deliver the hydrogen from where it is produced to where it is needed.

Could HiiROC Be Used At Ferrybridge?

Consider.

  • HiiROC use a process called thermal plasma electrolysis to split any hydrocarbon gas into hydrogen and carbon black.
  • Typical input gases are chemical plant off gas, biomethane and natural gas.
  • Carbon black has uses in manufacturing and agriculture.
  • HiiROC uses less energy than traditional electrolysis.
  • There is an independent power source at Ferrybridge from burning waste, which could be used to ower a HiiROC  system to generate the hydrogen.

It might be possible to not have a separate hydrogen feed and still get worthwhile carbon emission savings.

Conclusion

I believe we will have enough electricity to power all the data centres, that will be built in the next few years in the UK.

Some of the new power stations, that are proposed to be built, like some of the SMRs and SSE’s Next Generation power stations could even be co-located with data centres or other high energy users.

In Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station, I describe how at the former site of Cottam coal-fired power station, it is proposed that two Holtec SMR-300 SMRs will be installed to power advanced data centres. If the locals are objecting to nuclear stations, I’m sure that an SSE Next Generation power station, that was burning clean hydrogen, would be more acceptable.

 

 

 

 

September 23, 2025 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen, World | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sunset Studios Pivots From Plan To Develop Major Soundstage Complex Outside US

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Hollywood Reporter.

This is the sub-heading.

Operator Hudson Pacific and investment giant Blackstone had envisioned a 91-acre site in North London to have 21 soundstages totaling 470,000 square feet.

These two paragraphs give more details.

Plans have been formally put on hold for a 91-acre film and TV soundstage complex outside of London that had been billed as a major foray for the Sunset Studios brand outside the United States.

Sunset Studios, owned by operator Hudson Pacific along with significant investor Blackstone, had announced the project in 2021 during what may have been the height of the streaming content spending boom on film and TV projects.

This Google Map shows the site today.

Note.

  1. The North-South road is the A10.
  2. The roundabout , is where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10.
  3. The dual-carriageway going West from the roundabout is Lieutenant Ellis Way.
  4. Construction of a data centre for Google seems to have started to the North-West of the roundabout.
  5. Lieutenant Ellis Way would have separated the data centre from the studios.

In Google Starts Building £790m Site In Hertfordshire, I say more about building the data centre.

This Google Map shows the area South of the roundabout, where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10.

Note.

  1. The North-South road is the A10.
  2. The green patch of land to the South-East of the roundabout where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10 appears to be ripe for development.
  3. Looking at the green patch with a higher resolution, the land is little more than high class scrub beloved of newts.
  4. The London Overground line to Cheshunt runs down the East side of the site.
  5. To the North, the London Overground crosses Winston Churchill Way to get to Theobalds Grove station.
  6. To the South, the London Overground crosses the M25 to get to Turkey Street station.
  7. The M25 runs across the bottom of the map, through junction 25.
  8. The site to the West of the A10 between the two roundabouts, was the site reserved for  Sunset Studios.
  9. The site appears to have been concreted.

What is going to happen to the Sunset Studios site now?

 

 

March 21, 2025 Posted by | Computing, Finance, World | , , , , , | 3 Comments

Schneider Electric: Vertical Farming – The Next Yield In Data Centre Sustainability 

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Intelligent Data Centres.

This is the sub-heading.

David Abrahams, Key Client Manager, Cloud and Service Partners at Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, discusses vertical farming and the next yield in data centre sustainability. He outlines new data centre sustainability strategies, vertical farming solutions and how data centres can apply already existent models which will allow plants and crops to thrive in unique Growth Towers.

These are the first two paragraphs.

As data centres begin to reach their physical sustainability limits without redefining the laws of physics, vertical farming could provide a new solution to the decarbonisation challenge, creating a symbiotic environment for both data and nature to benefit one another.

Coined by some as the fourth revolution in agriculture, vertical farms today provide closed conditions which deliver major sustainability benefits including limited or zero use of pesticides, while ensuring the farm is safe from extreme weather-related events such as high temperatures, humidity, floods and fires. 

The last section is called Making The Concept A Reality, where these are the first three paragraphs.

Equinix has already taken the leap and has become the first global operator to develop a fully functioning vertical farm at its PA10 Paris data centre, creating a 4600 sq.ft greenhouse which is surrounded by 61,000 sq.ft of garden space.

The vertical farm is kept at an ideal growing temperature, using heat exchangers linked to the data centre’s chilled water-cooling system with sensors that monitor internal and external temperatures and humidity levels. With such available technology, farmers will be able to make real-time changes to their growing conditions to achieve higher yields at lower energy. This could be a game changer considering the greater strain on the global food supply chain and the general cost of energy.

With increased demands for efficiency and sustainability, both data centre and agricultural sectors are under the greatest scrutiny. The idea of data centre and farming worlds collaborating to create a circular economy to help futureproof both industries is not only exciting but unveils a world of new decarbonisation opportunities.

It strikes me that combining a data centre and a vertical farm could be a marriage made in eco-heaven.

I suggest you read all the original article.

 

January 21, 2024 Posted by | Computing, Energy, Food | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Google Starts Building £790m Site In Hertfordshire

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

Google has invested $1bn (£790m) to build its first UK data centre

These are the first four paragraphs.

The tech giant said construction had started at a 33-acre site in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and hoped it would be completed by 2025.

Google stressed it was too early to say how many jobs would be created but it would need engineers, project managers, data centre technicians, electricians, catering and security personnel.

The prime minister said it showed the UK had “huge potential for growth”.

The project marked the latest investment by a major US tech firm in Britain, after Microsoft announced it would invest £2.5bn to expand data centres for artificial intelligence (AI) across the UK.

Note.

  1. By “completed by 2025” do they mean completed before 2025 or completed by the end of 2025. Judging by the time they took to build their London HQ, its the latter.
  2. Rishi is right about the UK having a huge potential for growth! Especially, if the nihilists of the United States vote in the Big Orange!
  3. Judging by the total spend of £2.5 billion on data centres and the £790 million for this one, this looks to be the first of three.

But where is this data centre going to be built?

This article on EssexLive is entitled Google To Move Into Waltham Cross With £788m Data Centre To Support ‘AI Innovation’, where this is said.

The new data centre will go on land at Maxwell’s Farm, next to the A10 Great Cambridge Road and around one mile from the M25 junction 25. Debbie Weinstein, Google vice president and managing director in the UK and Ireland, set out the decision in a blog post on Thursday, January 18 – the fourth day of the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2024 in Switzerland.

This is a Goggle Map of that area, when I searched for Maxwell’s Farm.

Note.

  1. The red arrow indicates the result of my search, which Google interpreted as A.J. Maxwell.
  2. The dual-carriageway road running down the East side of the map is the A10 between London and Cambridge.
  3. The A10 road joins the M25 at Junction 25.
  4. The arrow to the South-West of the roundabout indicates the new studios; Sunset Waltham Cross, which is being built.
  5. At the other side of the studio site, there is a label saying New River and this important piece of London’s water infrastructure can be traced to the top of the map.
  6. The other dual-carriageway road is the B198 or Lieutenant Ellis Way.
  7. A quick calculation shows that 33 acres is roughly a 365 metre square.

I would suspect that the data centre will lie somewhere between the A10, the B198 and the New River.

This Google Map shows the South-East corner of the site.

Note.

  1. There appears to be a lane running East-West, that crosses over both the A10 and the New River.
  2. Theobalds Lane appears to have some housing and possibly a farm.
  3. The smaller field by the roundabout appears to have some animals using it as grazing.
  4. The field between the East-West lane and Theobalds Lane appears to have a good crop of cereal.

The East-West lane would appear to be a possible Southern border of the site.

This Google Map shows where the East-West lane goes.

Note.

  1. The lane leads to Queen Mary’s High School.
  2. The school also has access from Lieutenant Ellis Way.
  3. The New River appears to form, the Eastern boundary of the school site.
  4. There are sports pitches between the New River and the school.

The New River looks to be the Western boundary of the Google site.

This Google Map shows around the red arrow from the Google search that led me to this area.

Note.

  1. A.J. Maxwell is identified by the red arrow in the Theobalds Enterprise Centre.
  2. The New River can be seen at the West of the map.
  3. A hedge runs roughly East-West to the North of the Enterprise Centre.
  4. North of the hedge are a number of football pitches, which appear to belong to the Affinity Academy at Goffs Churchgate.

The hedge could be the Northern boundary of the Google site.

This Google Map shows the area between the South of the Enterprise Centre and the East-West lane I picked out earlier.

A crude measurement indicates it could be around 33 acres or slightly more.

This picture is used in nearly all the news reports about the Data Centre.

Note.

  1. Could that be the gentle curve of the New River on the left?
  2. With the high fence, the New River forms an almost-mediaeval defence against trespassers.
  3. There looks to be a dual-carriageway road running down the other side of the site, which would be the A10.
  4. Between the A10 and the site, there appears to be loots of dark areas, which I take to be car parks.
  5. Are the car-parking spaces in the front of the picture marked for those, who are disabled? There certainly appear to be chargers on some spaces.

I have a few thoughts.

The Relative Locations Of Google’s Data Centre And Sunset Studios?

This Google Map shows the two sites to the West of the A10.

Note.

  1. St. Mary’s High School is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Cheshunt Football Club is in the North-East corner of the map.
  3. The dual-carriageway A10 runs North-South on the map.
  4. I believe that Google’s Waltham Cross Data Centre will be located in the field to the West of the A10, at the top of the map.
  5. The A10 connects to the M25 at Junction 25, which is in the centre at the bottom of the map.
  6. In The Location Of Sunset Studios In Broxbourne,  Sunset Studios are placed to the North West of the Junction 25 roundabout.
  7. Just as the A10 forms the Eastern boundary of both sites, the New River forms the Western boundary.

The two sites are close together between the A10 and the New River, separated by the dual-carriageway Lieutenant Ellis Way.

Will Google’s Data Centre Be Storing Data For Sunset Studios?

I’ve never worked in the production of films, but these days with digital electronic cameras, CGI, motion capture and other techniques, producing a film must need huge amounts of data storage.

  • So have Sunset Studios outsourced their data storage needs to Google?
  • Perhaps too, Sunset Studios found the local authority welcoming and this attitude was recommended to Google.
  • Both sites will need local services like electricity, gas, sewage and water.

I suspect that there would be cost savings in construction and operation, if the two sites shared the utilities.

Providing Electricity And Heat For Both Sites

Consider.

  • I estimate from information given in the Wikipedia entry for Google Data Centres, that a data centre needs between 10 and 12 MW.
  • There is no obvious power source like offshore wind or a nuclear power station nearby.
  • There is the 715 MW Rye House gas-fired power station, which is a few miles away.
  • In Google Buys Scottish Offshore Wind Power, I talked about how Google had signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement to buy 100 MW from the Moray West offshore wind farm.

Google and Sunset Studios would also want an electrical and heat supply that is at least 100 % reliable.

Liverpool University had the same problem on their hundred acre campus in the centre of Liverpool.

  • The University decided to build their own 4 MW Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP), which is described in this data sheet.
  • It is fired by natural gas.
  • On their web site, Liverpool University state that their CHP can be adapted to different fuel blends. I take this includes zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and carbon-neutral fuels like biomethane.

But given their location in Waltham Cross close to the Lea Valley, CHP units may have a use for their carbon dioxide.

This Google Map shows between Junction 15 of the M25 and Tomworld.

Note.

  1. Junction 25 of the M25, where it joins the A10 is in the South-West corner of the map.
  2. The sites of Google’s Data Centre and Sunset Studios can be picked out with reference to the previous map.
  3. Tomworld is in the North-East corner of the map.
  4. So why should Tomworld need a lot of carbon-dioxide?

This Google Map shows Tomworld.

Note.

  1. This web page indicates what Tomworld do.
  2. They have 44 acres of glass growing tomatoes, about five miles to the North-East of Google’s Data Centre.
  3. The map has lots of other greenhouses.

I know of a guy, who has a large greenhouse, that grows tomatoes for the supermarkets.

  • He heats the greenhouse with a gas-fired Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP).
  • The electricity produced runs his business.
  • Any surplus electricity is fed into the grid.
  • The carbon dioxide is fed to the plants in the greenhouse, which helps them grow quality tomatoes.

I just wonder, if carbon dioxide from CHP units at Google’s Data Centre and Sunset Studios could be used by the multitude of greenhouses in the Lea Valley.

Could A Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Be Built Along The M25?

This Google Map shows the Northern section of the M25, South of Waltham Cross.

Note.

  1. The M25 running East-West across the bottom of the map.
  2. Junction 25 of the M25 in the South-West corner of the map.
  3. The A10 running North-South at the West of the map.
  4. Google’s data centre and Sunset Studio are to the West of the A10.
  5. The River Lee, which has numerous water courses is at the East of the map.

I wonder, if a carbon dioxide pipeline could be built along the M25 to connect the producers to those who could use it?

  • It would not be a dangerous pipeline as carbon dioxide is a fire extinguisher.
  • It wouldn’t be a huge pipe.

I think it would be possible.

Google’s Commitment To Being Zero-Carbon

This blog post on the Google web site is entitled Our $1 Billion Investment In A New UK Data Centre, has a section, which has a sub-title of 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy By 2030, where this is a paragraph.

Additionally, we’re also exploring new and innovative ways to use the heat generated by data centres, and this new facility will also have provisions for off-site heat recovery. Off-site heat recovery presents an opportunity for energy conservation that benefits the local community, as it allows us to capture the heat generated by the data centre so that it can be used by nearby homes and businesses. The data centre is also set to deploy an air-based cooling system.

If they are  using off-site heat recovery, it would be logical to use waste carbon dioxide from CHPs to provide carbon dioxide for the local horticultural businesses.

Will Google Be Building A Vertical Farm Nearby?

In Schneider Electric: Vertical Farming – The Next Yield In Data Centre Sustainability, I noted that some data centres are paired with vertical farms to increase their sustainability.

Could Google be doing that in Waltham Cross?

  • They will have a lot of waste heat.
  • They will have a fair bit of carbon dioxide, which could be used to help plants grow.
  • The local workforce probably contains a lot of experience of market gardening.

I like the idea of pairing a data centre and a vertical farm.

Public Transport Access

Consider.

  • Increasingly, the cost of electric vehicles, medical problems and the UK economic situation are causing people to adopt a car-free lifestyle.
  • After my stroke, my eyesight deteriorated such, that I am no longer allowed to drive.
  • Others may live in one-car families and it may not be their’s to use every day.
  • Or your car may just break down on the way to work.

For these and probably lots of other reasons, any large site employing a lot of employees, must have a valid way of getting there by public transport.

The nearest rail station to Google’s Data Centre and Sunset Studios is Theobalds Grove station.

This Google Map shows the roads between the sites and the station.

Note.

  1. The Sunset Waltham Cross label in the South West corner.
  2. Google’s Data Centre will be just off the map to the West of the A10.
  3. Theobalds Grove station is marked by the TfL roundel in the North-East corner of the map.
  4. There would appear to be no bus stops on Winston Churchill Way or the A10.

I walked South from the station to Winston Churchill Way, where I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. At that point, I gave up because of the cold and pollution.
  2. It was also a Saturday morning about midday.

The route I took is certainly not an alternative route to get to Google’s Data Centre or Sunset Studios.

A Possible Station At Park Plaza North

This article on the BBC is entitled Broxbourne: Two New Stations Planned.

This is the sub-heading.

Two new train stations could be built in Hertfordshire if plans to tighten planning policies are adopted.

This is the first paragraph.

Broxbourne Borough Council said stops at Park Plaza North – between Turkey Street and Theobalds Grove London Overground stations – and Turnford on the London to Bishop’s Stortford route would be subject to a consultation.

Later the BBC say that Park Plaza North station will be South of the A121 Winston Churchill Way near Waltham Cross

This Google Map shows the area South-East of the roundabout, where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10.

Note.

  1. The green patch of land to the South-East of the roundabout where Winston Churchill Way meets the A10 appears to be ripe for development.
  2. Looking at the green patch with a higher resolution, the land is little more than high class scrub beloved of newts.
  3. The London Overground line to Cheshunt runs down the East side of the site.
  4. To the North, the London Overground crosses Winston Churchill Way to get to Theobalds Grove station.
  5. To the South, the London Overground crosses the M25 to get to Turkey Street station.
  6. There is a lane running East-West along the South edge of the site, which crosses the railway in a level crossing.

This picture clipped from Google StreetView shows the level crossing.

This is certainly one, that drivers dread.

This GoogleMap shows the level crossing and a stretch of the London Overground.

Note.

  1. The level crossing is in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. There isn’t much space to put a London-bound platform on the East side of the tracks, South of the Park Road circle.
  3. There is plenty of space to put a Cheshunt-bound platform on the West side of the tracks.
  4. North of the Park Road circle, there would appear to be space for two platforms.

It will need a lot of ingenuity to provide a safe and efficient solution to the problems of the level crossing and fitting a station in this limited space.

The first thing I’d do, would be to dig an underpass for pedestrians and cyclists to connect the two halves of Park Lane.

 

 

 

 

January 21, 2024 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Energy, Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments