Drax datacentre could create nearly twice the yearly emissions of all Gatwick flights
Environmental campaigners warn that a proposed Drax datacentre could generate significant carbon emissions by burning millions of tonnes of wood annually. The project aims to meet the high energy demands of AI infrastructure.
Why it matters
The report highlights the tension between the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and the environmental sustainability goals of energy providers.
The Drax power station currently burns millions of tonnes of imported wood to create energy. The Drax power station currently burns millions of tonnes of imported wood to create energy. Datacentres - UK Drax datacentre could create nearly twice the yearly emissions of all Gatwick flights Exclusive: Campaign group’s analysis of North Yorkshire plans finds datacentre would have to burn 4.9m tonnes of wood a year
Prefer the Guardian on Google Drax’s planned datacentre could produce nearly double the emissions of all flights out of Gatwick airport each year by burning 4.9m tonnes of wood annually, an analysis has shown.
Campaigners say this would make it “one of the dirtiest datacentres out there”.
Last year, the energy company Drax unveiled plans to convert part of its biomass power plant in North Yorkshire into a datacentre in response to the increase in demand for AI capability.
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