UK’s most polluting power plant could power country’s largest AI datacentre

The UK could gain its largest AI datacentre at the Drax power station in North Yorkshire, adding more than 1 gigawatt of eventual capacity to the country's compute supply. Drax's FTSE 250 owner has agreed with infrastructure investor Brookfield and AI infrastructure platform Radiant to pursue a £20 billion development, with initial operations targeted for early 2028. For AI builders, the proposal signals a large expansion of domestic training and inference infrastructure, potentially reducing dependence on overseas capacity. But the location also puts energy sourcing and emissions at the center of the project: Drax has been described as Britain's most polluting power plant, and a 1 GW datacentre would create substantial, continuous electricity demand. The deal remains a development plan rather than available capacity, so delivery will depend on planning approvals, construction, grid connections, and clarity over how the facility will be powered.