Proposed London datacentre will have annual carbon footprint of 27,000 flights to New York
A proposed hyperscale data center in East Havering, London, is facing criticism for its massive projected carbon footprint. Planning documents reveal the facility would generate emissions equivalent to 27,000 flights to New York annually, conflicting with UK net-zero goals.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing tension between the infrastructure demands of AI and cloud computing and urgent climate change mitigation targets.
The proposed East Havering Data Centre Campus in north Ockendon would be one of the largest datacentres in Europe. Illustration: All content is copyright of Digital Reef 2026 The proposed East Havering Data Centre Campus in north Ockendon would be one of the largest datacentres in Europe. Illustration: All content is copyright of Digital Reef 2026 Datacentres - UK Proposed London datacentre will have annual carbon footprint of 27,000 flights to New York Exclusive: Planning documents show datacentre in north Ockendon will be incompatible with UK net zero targets
Prefer the Guardian on Google A “hyperscale” datacentre in outer London would generate more than 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 27,000 flights from London to New York, planning documents show.
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