QTS fleshes out £10bn hyperscale data centre vision
A scoping report filed by the subsidiary of global powerhouse Blackstone has revealed that the Northumberland site could house up to 5.8m sq ft of data centre buildings.
The site at Cambois near Blyth, also known as the NEP3 (Northumberland Energy Park) site, was for a long time earmarked as a Britishvolt gigafactory site for electric vehicle battery production.
Historically, the 235-acre plot housed the coal yards of the former Cambois power station.
After 15 months of negotiations with LPA receivers, QTS took over the site in April, with the county council agreeing a deed of release to allow the project to move forward.
Advised by Arcadis, QTS has now submitted a scoping report outlining in more detail its intentions, setting in chain consultation with statutory consultees – some of whom, such as Newcastle International Airport and Historic England, have already fed back.
As set out in the report by Arcadis, the applicant for the project is Renaissance Land, with QTS lined up as operator. Quod is providing planning advice.
QTS, bought by Blackstone in 2021 for $10bn, has 60 data centres in operation or under construction globally, but this would be its first in the UK, and only second in Europe.
Although a screening report has not formally been requested, the sheer weight of the numbers has led the project team to cover bases with early engagement.
Up to 10 buildings are proposed, weighing in at a combined 5.8m sq ft, meaning each would be around 580,000 sq ft. Each building, the current thinking runs, would provide up to 72 megawatts of IT capacity, as well as containing office and support departments. It is estimated that the power requirement for the site itself will be 1,100 megawatts.
A start in 2025 is expected, with phased development to take place over nine years. The lifespan of the centres is expected to be 50 years.
The documents can be viewed on Northumberland’s planning portal with the reference 24/02947/SCOPE.
