Brookfield, Drax Plan $26.8 Billion AI Data Center in North England
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Nov 3
Brookfield, Drax Plan $26.8 Billion AI Data Center in North England
1 articles · Updated · CNBC · Nov 3
Summary
Brookfield and Drax signed an agreement to develop an AI data center at the Drax Power Station estate in North Yorkshire, with total investment including semiconductors estimated at more than £20 billion ($26.8 billion).
100 megawatts of capacity are targeted to start operating in the first quarter of 2028, followed by another 500 MW between 2028 and 2031, with the partners ultimately seeking more than 1 gigawatt at the site.
£2.5 billion is earmarked for phase 1, underscoring the scale of upfront spending needed as Europe races to build AI infrastructure despite high energy and land costs.
Drax shares rose 8.2% in early trading after the announcement, signaling investor support for the project’s potential to reshape the North Yorkshire site.
As AI energy demands skyrocket in 2026, will behind-the-meter power at Drax truly bypass Europe's crippling grid bottlenecks for this 1GW data center?
With public consultations opening this November 2026, can Drax's £20 billion mega-project survive the growing environmental backlash over its controversial biomass emissions?