Revealed: The 17 locations of Scotland's new hyperscale data centres

The number of data centres is rising around the world as demand for storage for vast amounts of IT equipment - from servers to storage and networking kit - to power the internet also increases.

In Scotland, there are plans for 17 hyperscale data centres across the country. Some 15 of these are already in the planning system while two are in the early stages, with concerns raised about scale and impact on communities in some cases.

Campaigners have called for data centre applications to be “paused” given the cumulative effect on energy demands. Around 16 data centres are in operation at present.

Now, there are four new proposed locations in North Lanarkshire, two in the Borders, two in Edinburgh and two in East Ayrshire.

There is one site each in Argyll and Bute, Fife, West Lothian, East Dunbartonshire and South Lanarkshire.

North Ayrshire and East Lothian also have one site each which are proposed but not yet in the planning system.

It comes after ministers were urged to pause the applications for new data centres amid worries about energy demands.

The locations for the data centres in the Borders are Duns and Coldstream.

In North Lanarkshire, new centres have been proposed forRavenscraig, Chapelhall, Airdrie, and Cleland.

There are two proposals for Edinburgh - South Gyle and Wester Hermiston - and two in East Ayrshire, Hurlford and Ochiltree.

Further plans to build data centres in Toward in Argyll and Bute, Auchtertool in Fife, West Calder in West Lothian, Westerhill in East Dunbartonshire and Haspielaw in South Lanarkshire have also emerged.

Two sites are proposed but are not yet in the planning system. These are Irvine in North Ayrshire and Cockenzie in East Lothian.

The Scottish Government has been urged to “press pause” on planning applications for the new data centres, amid concern proposed sites could double Scotland’s energy demands.

Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) director Kat Jones warned if any of the “humongous data centres” are given the go ahead, they “would use the energy of an entire city”, or possibly more.

The group calculated that if those centres for which applications have been submitted are permitted, they could increase Scotland’s energy demand by 4,450-4,950 megawatts (MW) – with the countryside charity saying this is larger than winter peak electricity demand for the whole of Scotland.

The group, along with the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS), has written to the Scottish Government urging ministers to pause applications so the impact on energy supplies, energy prices and net zero targets can be considered.

The letter, sent to public finance minister Ivan McKee, also raises concerns that data centres are not routinely required to produce an environmental impact assessment before being given the go ahead, with APRS and the ERCS stating of the five proposed centres that have reached this stage of the planning process, only one has had to produce such an assessment.

It comes at what Dr Jones insists is a “critical moment” for Scotland.

With planning applications for the various data centres due to be considered by local councils, she said there is “no overview as to their effect on the country as a whole”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government acknowledges the significant levels of investment that green data centres can bring to Scotland, along with the role they can play in supporting regional economic development.

“Planning authorities have a responsibility to consider the environmental implications of all developments which require planning permission.

“If proposal is likely to have a significant environmental effect, procedures are set out in the EIA Regulations.

“All proposed developments are considered on their own merits, in order to decide whether an Environmental Impact Assessment would be required.”