Proposed data centre in Scotland could be among UK’s largest

2 October 2026

Plans have been submitted for a 1GW data centre campus in southern Scotland, in a development that could involve investment of about £16.5bn.

The proposed campus is being developed by CX Tech on land north of the former Chapelcross nuclear power station near Annan. The site has access to existing electricity infrastructure and is close to renewable generation, with around 1GW of renewable capacity consented or planned within 5km and around 2GW within 20km.

Private-wire connections to nearby wind, solar and biomass generation are being explored alongside grid supply and potentially energy storage. The site sits alongside 132kV infrastructure, while SP Energy Networks completed a £19m refurbishment of the 14.23km transmission line between Gretna and Chapelcross in August.

The campus would contain around 162,000 sq m of data centre space across eight buildings, alongside a training centre, industrial space, a substation and supporting infrastructure. If approved, it would be one of the largest data centre developments currently in the UK planning system. Construction is expected to take place in phases over about eight years, with the site potentially fully operational by 2035 if work begins in 2027.

The proposal comes as Scotland increases scrutiny of large data centre developments. In September, the Scottish Parliament backed a motion calling for national planning and spatial guidance on hyperscale data centres, and said planning or consenting decisions on such applications should not be made until that work is completed.

An Environmental Impact Assessment has already been undertaken for the Chapelcross proposal, with environmental scoping beginning earlier this year. The campus would target a power usage effectiveness of 1.30 or better and use closed-loop, non-evaporative air cooling. CX Tech estimates that water consumption for each building would be equivalent to around four homes per year.

The company is also targeting net-zero operation through renewable electricity and energy-efficiency measures.

However, the plans have faced local opposition. Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) said the proposed facility would be larger than any data centre currently operating, and raised concerns about its electricity demand, environmental impact and the effect on local communities.

Kat Jones, director of APRS, says:

“We can’t have developments landing in Scotland that would use in a year the equivalent of a third of Scotland’s electricity use. It is just not possible to accommodate this kind of energy demand.”

Image credit: CX Tech