UK's biggest AI supercomputer may have to wait until 2030s for enough power
The UK start-up says the data centre could eventually expand from 50 to 90 megawatts of power — enough, if used continuously, to consume as much electricity in a year as about 315,000 typical UK homes, based on 2026 figures from UK energy regulator Ofgem.
Published on 29/09/2026 - 11:01 GMT+2
The launch of the United Kingdom’s largest planned AI supercomputer, due to open next year, could be delayed until the 2030s because of problems securing enough electricity.
The project was announced as part of the first tech deal between the United Kingdom and the United States, as Britain pushes to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
The site is being developed in Loughton, east of London, by UK-based start-up Nscale, which counts US chipmaker Nvidia among its investors.
In 2025, Nscale announced plans to install around 23,000 Nvidia AI chips in the data centre and link them together to form what it says will be the UK’s largest AI supercomputer. That computing power is intended to support Microsoft’s Azure cloud services.
However, UK Power Networks (UKPN), the company that will connect the site to the local power grid, has told Nscale that the grid will not be able to supply enough electricity to the site until the early to mid-2030s, according to UK AI industry newsletter The Morning Intelligence.
In an interview with the newsletter, UKPN pointed to work needed on the wider national transmission network.
National Grid, which maintains that network in England and Wales, said it was working with the national system operator NESO and local network operators to speed up connections.
Nscale is looking at generating power on-site and is speaking to UK Power Networks about ways to accelerate the connection, the Morning Intelligence added.
Soaring data centre electricity consumption in Europe
The UK start-up says the data centre could eventually expand from 50 to 90 megawatts of power — enough, if used continuously, to consume as much electricity in a year as about 315,000 typical UK homes, based on 2026 figures from UK energy regulator Ofgem.
The Loughton site is part of Nscale’s wider plan to install nearly 59,000 Nvidia AI chips across data centres in the UK.
Across Europe, demand for data centres is growing while authorities are tightening rules for new data centres amid growing pressure on electricity grids.
Data centre electricity consumption across Europe is projected to rise from 96 terawatt-hours in 2024 to 236 terawatt-hours by 2035, according to UK-based energy think tank Ember.
Earlier this month, Scotland halted new hyperscale AI data centre approvals amid concerns over whether the country’s energy grid can cope with rapidly rising demand.
Amsterdam has restricted new data centres and expansions over concerns about space and power, while a bill proposed by Denmark’s government in August would give large electricity users, including data centres, a lower priority for grid connections.
