UK's First AI Data Centre Fuelled by Gas

Britain's first nationally significant AI data centre, a £2 billion development in Buckinghamshire, has triggered a clash between the country's AI ambitions and its net zero commitments after plans revealed it would be powered by on-site gas turbines generating up to 350 megawatts. The facility could emit around half a million tonnes of CO2 annually. The project reflects a wider trend of data centres bypassing grid connections in favour of gas, with 113 applications lodged in two years. Critics warn that approving such projects risks derailing the net zero transition, while developers point to a future hydrogen switch that experts say is unlikely before the 2030s.