Data Centres

London is mounting a coordinated, sustainability-focused push to grow data centre capacity by convening boroughs, energy providers, developers and universities while confronting acute grid pressures — 99 sites deliver about 760MW (roughly the electricity used by 750,000 homes) and the grid connection queue requests roughly ten times current consumption, prompting calls for urgent government action.

Pay attention to the forthcoming draft London Plan data centre policy, alignment with the London Infrastructure Framework, pilots such as the OPEN heat network at Old Oak and Park Royal to capture waste heat, and the initiative’s links to the London AI and Jobs Taskforce and upskilling programmes.

Tracking: Data Center · Data Centre

Geography: Global, North America (Northern Virginia / Ashburn, Silicon Valley, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago), Europe (London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin), APAC (Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shenzhen), Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Latin America (São Paulo, Mexico City)

1. London launches coordinated push for sustainable data centre growth

Mayor Sadiq Khan announced plans to make London a global hub for sustainable data centre innovation while addressing unprecedented pressures on the capital’s electricity network.

A City Hall report published during London Tech Week found London has 99 data centre sites delivering about 760MW at peak demand, roughly matching the electricity used by 750,000 homes, while capacity requested in the grid connection queue is roughly ten times current consumption.

The initiative establishes a whole-city partnership of boroughs, energy providers, developers and universities, beginning with a data centre development roundtable at City Hall, and calls for urgent government action on the national grid connection queue.

Policy steps include a draft London Plan data centre policy this summer, alignment with the London Infrastructure Framework, and pilots such as the OPEN heat network at Old Oak and Park Royal to capture waste heat; the package links to the London AI and Jobs Taskforce and upskilling programmes.

Key facts:

- 99 data centre sites in London

- Approximately 760MW peak demand currently delivered

- Equivalent electricity use of 750,000 homes

- Grid connection queue requests roughly ten times current consumption

- City Hall report published during London Tech Week

Why it matters: The city’s plan recognises that unlocking grid capacity is the gating factor: resolving the national grid connection queue will determine whether digital and AI infrastructure can expand without encroaching on housing and local services.

Successful coordination and the draft planning policy would enable lower‑carbon models — heat reuse pilots, energy-efficiency standards and targeted upskilling — benefiting operators, residents and utilities, but progress depends on timely government action, investment in electricity capacity, and outcomes from the planned roundtable and forthcoming London Plan.

Ukauthority