Sir Keir Starmer’s effort to drive economic growth with a surge of AI data centre developments risks torpedoing Labour’s Net Zero goals. The Telegraphhas the story.
Just one £10 billion data centre project in the North East will emit as much carbon dioxide as one of Britain’s busiest airports, highlighting the difficult trade-offs facing the Prime Minister as he seeks to both improve growth and reduce emissions.
A complex of 10 facilities near Blyth, Northumberland, will generate more greenhouse gas emissions than Birmingham Airport, which carries 12 million passengers per year, planning documents show.
The project, which will cover 133 acres, is being helmed by Blackstone-backed QTS and was touted by the Prime Minister last September as a “huge vote of confidence in the UK”. Work is expected to start on the site later this year. …
Data centres are crucial to artificial intelligence (AI) and Sir Keir has made establishing them a key priority as he seeks to harness the new technology. Data centres were designated as critical national infrastructure last September and the Prime Minister has identified certain areas as “AI growth zones”, making it is easier to build there.
The projects require huge amounts of power. In a report this week, Alex de Vries-Gao, founder of the Digiconomist website, calculated AI data centres would need 23GW of power worldwide by the end of 2025. The UK’s average national power demand is around 30GW. …
The “hyperscale” data centre in Blyth, which received the green light earlier this month, will emit 184,160 tonnes of CO2 per year once operational. Northumberland County Council, which approved the scheme, said the facility would double its overall industrial emissions and represent 12% of the county’s overall emissions by 2030. …
The data facility’s expected emissions assume the UK remains on track with its plans to decarbonise the grid. In an environmental report submitted by QTS, the operator said it had received feedback that the council was concerned the project could “throw off” the local authority’s own green target of carbon neutrality by 2030. Councillors agreed to proceed with the scheme regardless.
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They aren’t being honest about what they want with all this AI. I suspect they want a surveillance state. Why not build a nuclear power station right next to the data centre?
From my limited experience, “AI” tools might provide limited productivity gains in specific applications, provided it is used by people who know what they are doing. Other than that I suspect it will produce mediocre rubbish. But surveillance is probably something it could help with, especially if it didn’t need to be that accurate – after all, if you are trying to control people you don’t need to worry too much about pissing people off.
My money are on the government will spend huge amounts on contracts with these companies (otherwise, why would they build these energy hungry data centres in the country that has the highest energy costs?) for solutions that are supposed to increase efficiency/productivity but will do so rather modestly and instead of getting rid of those that do sh*t all day or their jobs become obsolete, they’ll increase their numbers with “specialists” in using/managing the implemented solutions.
soundofreason
3 months ago
Since the environmental impact of granting planning for a new coal mine or oil well must now include the down-stream consequences of consuming the hydrocarbon output I presume there are planning consent challenges waiting in the wings claiming that the environmental impact of generating the necessary power for these datacentres has been overlooked? In particular on the basis that diverting ‘renewable’ power to these projects causes more hydrocarbon power to be demanded for existing industry and domestic use.
Easy solution: introduce power rationing for the general public, and tell them it’s their way of “doing their bit” to combat climate change. Plenty of sheeples will swallow it hook, line and sinker.
There is already one from Norway, which is just now delivering just over 1 GW, and it all depends how they do the sums to do things like cross balancing their use with the available import from wherever. Maybe it could take ownership of something else that qualifies to be net zero over a period of time – say Hinkley Point C if it runs short of cash.
Pete Sutton
3 months ago
Is this data cnre expected to have its own power station, or will it rely on the national grid?
It will require the whole of Cornwall to become a solar panel.
BS Whitworth
3 months ago
“effort to drive economic growth with a surge of AI data centre developments” Could we just keep our old economy producing food, electricity and houses. The stuff that keeps us alive.
Jack the dog
3 months ago
I’d rather have a steelworks.
RTSC
3 months ago
I am deeply suspicious about the “need” for a hyperscale data centre in Blyth, or anywhere else.
What massive amount of data do they expect to be accumulating and for what purposes? I very much doubt that it will be of any benefit to Joe Public.
marebobowl
3 months ago
Sadly, the Uk has noone in office fighting for the rights of the taxpayer. You are in a hopeless situation.buckle up.
The trick of NetZero is the whole ludicrous illogical farcical sham show is to resoundingly demonstrate the infeasibility of the prospect whilst leaving the only ‘logical’ solution apparent: nuclear power generation. That is the obvious solution to the conundrum assuming you believe the core premise of CO2 emissions driving catastrophic global climate warming/change. The environmental lobby will demand it, switched about face, black is white, up is down. They’ll love their own servitude.
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I expect they will find a way to look like they have squared the circle. I doubt Starmer et al truly believe there is a “climate emergency”.
Maybe they’ll build a dedicated interconnect from Norway, and then claim it’s Norway’s emissions and not ours!
But just as likely it could be Qatar or UAE as the interconnect!
Plant some trees….somewhere.
They aren’t being honest about what they want with all this AI. I suspect they want a surveillance state. Why not build a nuclear power station right next to the data centre?
From my limited experience, “AI” tools might provide limited productivity gains in specific applications, provided it is used by people who know what they are doing. Other than that I suspect it will produce mediocre rubbish. But surveillance is probably something it could help with, especially if it didn’t need to be that accurate – after all, if you are trying to control people you don’t need to worry too much about pissing people off.
Oi! Keir! You’re an imbecile! And Edward Miliwat belongs in a lunatic asylum.
For an economy to grow it does not need AI but it does need…
…drum roll…
USABLE FORMS OF CHEAP ABUNDANT ENERGY!
(Hint hint, solar panels and windmills provide neither cheap nor abundant forms of energy)
Net Zero Will Never Add Up
My money are on the government will spend huge amounts on contracts with these companies (otherwise, why would they build these energy hungry data centres in the country that has the highest energy costs?) for solutions that are supposed to increase efficiency/productivity but will do so rather modestly and instead of getting rid of those that do sh*t all day or their jobs become obsolete, they’ll increase their numbers with “specialists” in using/managing the implemented solutions.
Since the environmental impact of granting planning for a new coal mine or oil well must now include the down-stream consequences of consuming the hydrocarbon output I presume there are planning consent challenges waiting in the wings claiming that the environmental impact of generating the necessary power for these datacentres has been overlooked? In particular on the basis that diverting ‘renewable’ power to these projects causes more hydrocarbon power to be demanded for existing industry and domestic use.
Easy solution: introduce power rationing for the general public, and tell them it’s their way of “doing their bit” to combat climate change. Plenty of sheeples will swallow it hook, line and sinker.
There is already one from Norway, which is just now delivering just over 1 GW, and it all depends how they do the sums to do things like cross balancing their use with the available import from wherever. Maybe it could take ownership of something else that qualifies to be net zero over a period of time – say Hinkley Point C if it runs short of cash.
Is this data cnre expected to have its own power station, or will it rely on the national grid?
delete
It will require the whole of Cornwall to become a solar panel.
“effort to drive economic growth with a surge of AI data centre developments” Could we just keep our old economy producing food, electricity and houses. The stuff that keeps us alive.
I’d rather have a steelworks.
I am deeply suspicious about the “need” for a hyperscale data centre in Blyth, or anywhere else.
What massive amount of data do they expect to be accumulating and for what purposes? I very much doubt that it will be of any benefit to Joe Public.
Sadly, the Uk has noone in office fighting for the rights of the taxpayer. You are in a hopeless situation.buckle up.
The trick of NetZero is the whole ludicrous illogical farcical sham show is to resoundingly demonstrate the infeasibility of the prospect whilst leaving the only ‘logical’ solution apparent: nuclear power generation. That is the obvious solution to the conundrum assuming you believe the core premise of CO2 emissions driving catastrophic global climate warming/change. The environmental lobby will demand it, switched about face, black is white, up is down. They’ll love their own servitude.