Over 1,000 objections to Scottish AI data centre in just 48 hours
The planning application, which would create the largest data centre campus in the world, has been branded ‘reckless’.
Over 1,000 objections have been lodged against a proposed hyperscale AI data centre in just 48 hours.
The Chapelcross development in Dumfries and Galloway, if approved, would have a capacity of almost 1GW, and would become the largest data centre campus in the world.
However the application has been branded “reckless” as the developer’s own environmental impact assessment says it would have a “moderate adverse and significant” greenhouse gas impact.
The application documents also say the majority of the proposed site is on farmland rather than the existing Chapelcross brownfield site.
At the moment there are 15 AI data centres in operation in Scotland, with the largest one being in Lanarkshire with an operating capacity of 12MW.
These AI data centres store, process and run large amounts of data and software to power the internet. They use a lot of renewable energy, which has led to a spike in applications being submitted in Scotland.
The Scottish Parliament has backed a temporary, de facto moratorium on all new planning applications for a year, and ministers are being urged to come up with a national strategy and new planning guidance on this.
Laura Moodie, Green MSP for South Scotland, said: “Chapelcross shows exactly why the Scottish Greens were right to push for a moratorium on all hyperscale data centre proposals.
“The scale of this development is staggering. At full operation it would use as much electricity as more than two million homes, and the eight units would each be taller than the Falkirk Wheel.
“Chapelcross should be an opportunity to regenerate a former nuclear site, but instead the majority of this proposal would be built on greenfield land.
“The developer’s own assessment identifies significant greenhouse gas impacts, while major questions remain over where the enormous amount of electricity needed to power the site would actually come from.”
She added: “Projects on this scale would put further upward pressure on household energy bills, as the cost of expanding and reinforcing the electricity network is ultimately recovered from consumers.
“People in Dumfries and Galloway, and across Scotland, deserve the chance to make their voices heard before a decision of this scale is taken.”
She is now urging others to also officially object to the Chapelcross AI data centre by writing to Dumfries and Galloway Council. Ms Moodie added: “Until Scotland has a clear national strategy for hyperscale data centres, developments of this scale cannot be allowed to go ahead.”
Campaigners have urged the Scottish Government to hold a “national conversation” on the need for hyperscale data centres.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and more than a dozen other groups made the plea in a letter to public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad, calling on her to ensure a “formal public consultation on hyperscale data centres before any are approved”.
The groups, who also include Action to Protect Rural Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Friends of the Earth Scotland, wrote to the minister in the wake of a Holyrood vote which set out that no planning decisions should be taken on proposed data centres before new guidance is developed by the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government said it would be inappropriate to comment on a live planning application.
Dumfries and Galloway Council have been approached for comment.
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