Drax's 1.2GW Data Centre Plan and the Fight Over Biomass Emissions
Drax plans to convert part of its biomass power plant in North Yorkshire into a datacentre. The company is developing options for a 1.2GW datacentre, with 100MW supplied from the electricity grid and the remainder from its own power station. Drax said the facility could be fully operational from 2031 subject to securing necessary consents. The project has not yet entered the formal planning process. The Guardian
The emissions assessment comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). NRDC estimated the planned datacentre will require 4.9 million tonnes of wood each year. It calculated total emissions at 8.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year. That calculation assumes the datacentre would run at a constant rate for all hours of the year. The Guardian
For scale, total CO2 emissions from all flights from Gatwick airport were 4.79 million tonnes in 2024. On NRDC's numbers, the planned Drax datacentre's estimated emissions are nearly double that total. Matt Williams is a senior advocate for NRDC. Williams said the planned Drax datacentre would be "one of the dirtiest datacentres out there".
Drax Power Station is located near Selby in North Yorkshire. Drax says hosting a data centre on its site can power AI directly with reliable, low-carbon electricity. Drax has linked its exploration of hosting a data centre at Drax Power Station to North Yorkshire's AI Growth Zone bid. Drax
The current 1.2GW option is larger and later than earlier concepts described by the company. Drax unveiled proposals to submit a planning application for an initial data-centre development of under 100MW at Drax. Drax Drax planned to turn coal-era infrastructure into a data centre by 2027. Reuters Grid-supplied capacity is discussed separately from behind-the-meter generation, meaning power supplied directly on site rather than through the public grid.
There are currently 315 datacentres in the queue to connect to the UK electricity grid, totalling 73GW of demand. Dozens of planned gas-fired plants intended to supply data centers directly could emit as much greenhouse gas annually as Australia or France. Reuters The European Commission proposed rules requiring data centres in Europe to disclose how efficiently they use energy and water. Reuters Drax expects 2026 adjusted core profit to be around the top of analyst estimates of £680 million to £711 million. Reuters
The broader context here is carbon accounting and siting. NRDC applies full-stack biomass combustion emissions to the power demand. Drax frames on-site generation as reliable, low-carbon electricity for AI load. The two positions turn on different treatment of biomass CO2, grid displacement, and continuous operation. The planning file will test which methodology regulators accept.
Looking at what this means for delivery, the timeline is long and procedural. A 2031 date subject to consents leaves years for planning, grid negotiation, fuel sourcing review, and disclosure obligations. The AI Growth Zone bid gives North Yorkshire a policy vehicle. The 73GW queue, and the Gatwick comparison, will shape the debate over how the electrons are classified.
