The proposal for a ‘multi-gigawatt’ data centre near Aberdeen has prompted quite a bit of press. We had comments in articles in The Herald, The National and in the Scotsman.
More info about this development is on our Data Centre Map.
You can read our comments in full below:
This was covered in the following newspapers:
20 April APRS quote on press release on new ‘multigigawatt’ data centre in Blackdog, Aberdeen
22 April Commentary on the Aberdeen Data Centre announcement
For The Herald
It is hard to conceive of the amount of energy that this hyperscale AI data centre is proposed to consume. ‘Multi-gigawatts’ would suggest it is at least 2GW, and Scotland’s entire energy demand at peak is 4GW. This single development would have the electricity demand of half the entire Scottish economy. And it will employ just100 people, according to the company’s estimates.
Renewable energy, even offshore energy, is not without impacts. The Berwick Bank windfarm, which is proposed close to seabird colonies in the Firth of Forth, will be the world’s most deadliest windfarm, according to the RSPB. North Sea renewable energy is supposed to be decarbonising the UK rather than being brought, by direct wire, to a humongous AI data centre to train large language models for US tech companies.
The Blackdog AI data centre is just the latest and most egregious of the hyperscale data centre proposals that we have seen, which will swallow up our renewable energy production, as well as demanding huge energy loads from the grid when the wind is not blowing. This proposal is so large it will likely require its own gas electricity generation for when the wind turbines aren’t turning.
Not only is this development diverting gigawatts of renewable energy from decarbonising the UK economy, it is also likely to lead to huge amounts of additional fossil fuel energy generation.
If this development goes ahead there is no prospect whatsoever of Scotland delivering our climate goals.
For The Scotsman
The oil and gas lobby must be delighted at this proposal. The developers of these hyperscale AI data centres know that they cannot run on renewables alone. Unlike the wind, they operate 24/7 and need highly reliable grid access or onsite generation. This proposal has truly eye watering ‘multi-gigawatt’ energy demands. Given that Scotland has a total energy demand at winter peak of 4 gigawatts, this is not a data centre that be accommodated by the current grid and is highly likely to require its own gas electricity generation, as we are seeing in new hyperscale data centres in Ireland, USA and even in England.
Not only is this likely to lead to gigawatts more fossil fuel energy generation, but North Sea renewable energy is supposed to be decarbonising the UK rather than being brought, by direct wire, to a humongous AI data centre to train large language model AI for US tech companies.
If this development goes ahead there is no prospect whatsoever of Scotland delivering our climate goals.