Drax has signed an agreement with Brookfield and Radiant, Brookfield’s UK-headquartered AI infrastructure platform, to jointly develop, deliver and operate an AI data centre on the Drax Power Station estate in the North of England.
The strategic partnership is targeting the development of a 1GW+ data centre at the power station site, with the total potential investment, including semiconductor chips, exceeding £20bn.
The £2.5bn Phase One will target up to 100MW of capacity, operational from Q1 2028 with an ambition to ramp up to an additional 500MW of capacity between 2028 and 2031 as part of Phase Two. The data centre will utilise Drax Power Station’s 4GW of grid access and 2.6GW of dispatchable generation capacity.
Progression of Phase One is subject to the necessary planning approvals, as well as receiving the required regulatory and network approvals from government and relevant agencies.
Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group, said: “We are proud to be partnering with leading AI infrastructure providers on this project which can help secure the long-term future of the site and protect hundreds of jobs, maintain a critical source of this country’s energy security, support northern growth and enable us to continue delivering for our local communities.
“This country has a unique opportunity to bring together AI leadership, energy infrastructure and industrial renewal to drive national growth. If constructed in full, this project could become one of the largest data centres in the UK, with the potential to attract billions in inward investment, supporting the North’s re-industrialisation and strengthening sovereign AI capability.
“Drax Power Station is one of the few UK sites that can provide large-scale reliable power directly to data centre customers by utilising existing and underutilised generation capacity. We welcome the government’s recognition that strategically important data centres need faster access to power and planning. The priority now must be turning that ambition into delivery, so projects like this can move at the pace the UK needs to compete for global AI investment.”
Sikander Rashid, head of AI infrastructure, added: “Teaming up with Drax and Qai for this project represents a major opportunity for our AI infrastructure strategy. Our capital and deep operating capabilities will help accelerate the construction of a critical piece of sovereign AI, delivered by Radiant, our UK-headquartered compute infrastructure platform. In addition to preserving hundreds of jobs, this project will also create many direct and indirect jobs around the broader Yorkshire area.”
Abdulla Al-Misnad, chairman and managing director of Qai, said: “This project is a major initiative under the Brookfield-Qai joint venture and forms part of our international AI infrastructure strategy. Drawing on the combined expertise of Qai and Brookfield in developing and managing large-scale critical infrastructure, and with Radiant and Drax delivering the project, we are helping to establish the infrastructure required to support the long-term growth of the UK’s AI ecosystem.”
Mahdi Yahya, CEO of Radiant, added: “We are proud to expand our UK AI compute footprint with Drax. This is a unique opportunity for the UK’s AI ecosystem to build at scale. By designing, building and operating from the UK, it will give British researchers, startups and enterprises access to frontier compute at home. Drax has powered Britain for more than 50 years. Together we can power its AI economy for the next 50.”
