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Plans Announced For UK’s Largest AI Data Centre

Graham Turner

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Nscale AI investment
The news comes just days after prime minister Keir Starmer unveiled the Labour Party’s 50-point plan to “turbocharge” UK AI.

Nscale, the hyperscaler engineered for AI and headquartered in London, has announced plans to invest more than £2 billion in the UK’s data centre industry over the next three years – including the development of advanced AI data centres in both fixed and modular formats, that are powered by clean energy and equipped with cutting-edge generative AI technology.

The first site, which will be based in Loughton, Essex, is set to be equipped to support 50MW of AI and HPC capacity, with the ability to scale the power allocation up to 90MW, all utilising advanced liquid cooling to support generative AI GPU deployments, with the site scheduled to be live in Q4 2026.

Further, the facility can house up to 45,000 of the latest NVIDIA GB200 GPUs. According to the company, this single site will create 500 jobs during construction and a further 250 jobs over a three year period to run and operate the facility.

Nscale hopes the site will also serve to stimulate the UK economy by attracting additional commercial investment and enable the UK AI startup community to thrive.

“Nscale’s investment reinforces the UK’s standing as a global leader in AI and shows real confidence in our blueprint to turbocharge the use of the technology and how we’re delivering our Plan for Change to put AI to work for communities across the country,” said science, innovation, and technology secretary, Peter Kyle.

“Their support will serve as a catalyst for innovation – sending a clear message that Britain is the perfect home from home to drive growth, deliver high-skilled jobs, and access the cutting-edge tools that will fuel the AI revolution.”


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The company also plans to begin construction of multiple modular UK-based data centres in Q3 and Q4 of 2025, with further expansion of fixed data centres slated for the following years.

Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale, said: ‍“Our investment in the UK marks a significant milestone in building next-generation AI infrastructure. This expansion will help us meet the growing demand for generative AI by deploying advanced GPU clusters more efficiently.

“Additionally, capital from our recent funding round will accelerate our global 1.3 GW pipeline of greenfield data centres, with 120 MW planned for development in 2025. This underscores our commitment to delivering sustainable, scalable AI infrastructure that drives innovation and economic growth.”

Graham Turner

Sub Editor

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