Drax, Brookfield and Qatar's Qai Plan an AI Data Centre at Drax Power Station That Could Cost More Than £20 Billion
Drax said on November 3 that it will develop GW-scale data centre capacity at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire with Brookfield, its AI infrastructure platform Radiant, and Qatar's Qai. Brookfield estimates the full project could exceed £20 billion, with £2.5 billion for a first phase of up to 100MW targeted from early 2028. The plan has no tenant yet and still needs planning, regulatory and grid approvals.
One route to big AI data centres in Britain may be old power stations that already have grid connections, and Drax is now offering one. Drax, Brookfield and Brookfield's UK-based AI infrastructure platform Radiant said on November 3 they will jointly develop, deliver and operate GW-scale data centre capacity at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, backed by Brookfield's joint venture with Qatar's Qai.
The plan#
Brookfield estimates total investment could exceed £20 billion, including an initial £2.5 billion for the first phase, Drax said. CNBC reported that the estimate includes semiconductors. The partners are targeting up to 100MW operational from the first quarter of 2028, an ambition of 500MW between 2028 and 2031, and more capacity after 2031. The 1,000-acre estate has 4GW of grid access, including 2.6GW of active dispatchable generation, according to Drax.
"If constructed in full, this project could become one of the largest data centres in the UK," Drax chief executive Will Gardiner said. Drax shares rose 8.8% in early trading in London, CNBC reported.
What still has to happen#
The first phase depends on planning permission, regulatory and network approvals from the government and the system operator, and on securing a suitable tenant, Drax said. Final investment decisions have not been made, CNBC reported. The partners say the project fits the government's new Data Centre Covenant, which offers faster grid access in return for local commitments, and plan a community consultation before the formal planning process.
The announcement comes days after National Grid agreed to buy land on Teesside for a substation to power a planned AI data centre.
Limits#
- The £20 billion figure is Brookfield's estimate of potential total investment, not committed capital.
- No tenant has been named, and no final investment decision has been taken.
- The timeline for capacity beyond 500MW is unspecified.
- This was announced on the morning of November 3, before our previous edition's research window; we include it now because we missed it.