OpenAI UK Data Centre Stalls, Embarrassing Starmer

OpenAI's flagship UK data centre at Cobalt Park, Tyneside, has stalled with no construction started, missing its Q1 2026 deadline. The project, announced last September through a partnership with Nscale, was set to house 8,000 Nvidia AI processors as part of the global Stargate programme. OpenAI has offered no revised timetable. The delay is a significant blow to Prime Minister Starmer's AI-driven growth strategy. The problems mirror wider industry struggles, with research suggesting half of large-scale data centre projects are running late due to planning issues and energy constraints. Both OpenAI and Nscale declined to comment.