We have made a map of the hyperscale data centre projects being planned in Scotland.
Click on the map to find out information on the capacity, stage of planning, developer. And each proposed site has a dedicated webpage with more information including maps and plans, links to planning documents, and contact details of local campaign groups. We may not be aware of all of them so if we have missed some, please let us know!
Many of the sites have individuals or groups forming to campaign against them. Once a group has a website or contact details I will add them to the webpage. If you would like your campaign or community group to be added to the map please get in touch!
List of the data centres we know of
| Map-View Site Name | Local Authority | Developer | Capacity MW | Contact for Local group | More Information |
| Ravenscraig | North Lanarkshire | Apatura | 550MW | aprs.scot/ravenscraig-dc | |
| Coldstream | Borders | Apatura | 300MW | aprs.scot/coldstream-dc | |
| Drumshangie | North Lanarkshire | Apatura | 500MW | aprs.scot/drumshangie-dc | |
| Killean | Argyll | Argyll Development and SambaNova | 100-600MW scaling to 2000MW | aprs.scot/argyll-dc | |
| Auchtertool | Fife | ILI Group | 600MW | aprs.scot/auchtertool-dc | |
| Hurlford | East Ayrshire | ILI Group | 540MW | Ayrshire Major Development Community Group website | aprs.scot/hurlford-dc/ |
| Newhouse | North Lanarkshire | ILI Group | 400MW | aprs.scot/newhouse-dc | |
| South Gyle | Edinburgh | Shelborn Drummond Ltd | 212.42MW | aprs.scot/gyle-dc | |
| Wester Hermiston | Edinburgh | Apatura | 200MW | Action against Wester Hermiston Mega Data Centre website | aprs.scot/hermiston-dc |
| Freeport | West Lothian | Apatura | 250MW | aprs.scot/freeport-dc | |
| Westerhill | East Dunbartonshire | Apatura | 300MW | aprs.scot/bishopbriggs-dc | |
| Haspielaw | South Lanarkshire | Apatura | unknown | aprs.scot/hamilton-dc | |
| Ochiltree | East Ayrshire | Apatura | 200MW | aprs.scot/ochiltree-dc | |
| Duns | Scottish Borders | Sunlaws Development company (Roxburge Estate) | 225MW (three buildings of 75MW) | aprs.scot/duns-dc | |
| Dunbar | East Lothian | Thistle Sands Data Limited | unknown (very large – 62.5 hectares) | Facebook Page | aprs.scot/dunbar-dc |
| Data vita, Fortis | North Lanarkshire | Data Vita | 40MW | aprs.scot/AI-growth-zone | |
| Data Vita, South Lanridge | North Lanarkshire | HFD Renewables NL (DataVita is HFD’s data centre division) | 500MW | aprs.scot/AI-growth-zone | |
| Irvine | North Ayrshire | AI Pathfinder | 1000MW | not in planning or pre-planning yet | |
| Cockenzie | East Lothian | East Lothian Council with Sustainable Development Capital LLP | unknown | not in planning or pre-planning yet | |
| Chapelcross | Dumfries and Galloway | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority & CX Power | 1000MW | not in planning or pre-planning yet | |
| Glenbervie Business park | Falkirk | Apatura | 300MW | ||
| Greenock IBM site | Inverclyde | Slate Islands Development | unknown | https://aprs.scot/greenock-ibm-data-centre/ | |
| Aberdeen, Blackdog | Aberdeen | Ashfield Land and TechRE | ‘multi-gigawatt’ starting at 600MW | https://aprs.scot/aberdeen-blackdog/ |
Total: = 4817MW plus 100-600 (midpoint 300) MW plus 2 unknown which we assume to be 332MW (average size for the unlisted site.) (assuming he two unknown are the average of 332MW)
This gives an estimated 5781 MW currently in the planning system, in pre-application consultation. Peak winter electricity demand in Scotland is just over 4,000 MW (NESO)
In addition there are 5 sites that are being planned but have not put in a pre-application yet. These would add up to a further 2946MW making a total of 8727MW
The ‘multi-gigawatt’ proposal at Blackdog, Aberdeen is presumably planning to be at least 2GW and so this figure jumps to 9700MW
Urgent: Can you help fund our work?
We are a tiny charity with just three part time staff and need funding to support our work and to employ a professional planner to help us assist communities to oppose data centres in their area.
- to keep a public database up to date of the applications coming in
- to offer bespoke advice to communities working on objecting to data centres near them
- to write example Objections for each development being planned and to submit Objections from APRS and to encourage other NGOs to Object
- to set up a map of sites being planned
- to bring together other NGOs to also object to the centres and coordinate out work in the area of planning campaigning
- to deliver training/webinars for communities and NGOs and to write guidance for objecting to data centers
- to advise on changes to NPF4 and Scottish Government policy on data centres
If you can help us, please do get in touch or donate on the button below.