A Guardian investigation has found that a landmark £8.2bn AI datacentre project in rural Lanarkshire has no realistic prospect of meeting its promise to be powered entirely by on-site renewables.
Key facts
- The £8.2bn AI datacentre complex in Lanarkshire was announced in January.
- It is being built by US firm CoreWeave and Scottish company DataVita.
- The project was promised to run entirely on on-site renewables and be completed by 2030.
- A Guardian investigation found the renewables pledge has no prospect of being met.
- Government and developers privately acknowledged a power provision 'issue', according to the Guardian.
A landmark artificial intelligence development in rural Scotland has misrepresented its plans to power a site with a nuclear reactor’s worth of energy, according to a Guardian investigation published on 6 July 2026.
When the project was announced in January, the government promised that an £8.2bn AI datacentre complex in Lanarkshire would be powered entirely from on-site renewables and built by 2030. The complex is being developed by the US firm CoreWeave and the Scottish company DataVita.
The Guardian reports that the development, billed as delivering jobs and prosperity, has no prospect of meeting that renewables promise. The investigation describes the pledge as misrepresented and details concerns about the scale of power required for the site.
According to the Guardian, the government and the developers privately acknowledged that the Lanarkshire site had a power provision ‘issue’. The outlet also reported reactions in the Scottish village chosen for the datacentre, where it said hope had turned to fear, quoting one description of the plans as ‘smoke and mirrors’.
The Guardian situated the project within wider questions about Britain’s AI growth zones, examining whether such plans are feasible. The investigation raised doubts about the practicality of channelling the promised level of renewable power to the rural location.
The reporting focuses on the gap between the public commitments made when the project was launched and the private acknowledgements of difficulties in delivering the promised energy supply.
Why it matters
AI datacentres require enormous amounts of electricity, and governments have promoted them as engines of jobs and growth. If flagship projects cannot deliver on renewable energy promises, it raises questions about both climate commitments and the credibility of large-scale AI investment plans.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Scottish AI datacentre project worth?
According to the Guardian, the AI datacentre complex in Lanarkshire is an £8.2bn development.
Who is building the Lanarkshire datacentre?
The Guardian reports it is being built by the US firm CoreWeave and the Scottish company DataVita.
What was the original renewable energy promise?
When announced in January, the government promised the complex would be powered entirely from on-site renewables and built by 2030, according to the Guardian.