Google’s proposal to build a vast new datacentre in Thurrock, Essex, has intensified debate over the environmental cost of the UK’s AI ambitions. The planned “hyperscale datacentre,” covering 52 hectares on a former speedway site, is projected to emit more than half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year — a level campaigners equate to 500 short-haul flights per week.
Planning documents from a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, estimate the site’s emissions at around 568,727 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually. Google describes this as “minor adverse and not significant” in the context of the UK’s wider carbon budgets, citing future decarbonisation of the grid. But campaign group Foxglove argues the datacentre’s emissions would exceed those of some international airports, warning of serious pressure on local energy and water supplies.
The project reflects the UK government’s strategy to boost AI capabilities, with computing power demand expected to grow thirteenfold by 2035. Ministers see datacentre expansion as vital to maintaining national competitiveness and avoiding a “compute gap” that could threaten security and economic growth. Investment from major US tech firms, including Nvidia and OpenAI, is expected to feature prominently in upcoming diplomatic engagements, including a state visit from US President Donald Trump.
Datacentres already account for about 2.5 per cent of the UK’s electricity use — a figure forecast to quadruple by 2030. Google has made broader UK infrastructure commitments, including a new facility in Waltham Cross featuring air cooling and renewable energy partnerships aimed at achieving 95 per cent carbon-free operations by 2026. However, similar environmental safeguards for the Thurrock site remain under scrutiny.
The Essex plan follows a wider regional pattern. In Ireland, Google is developing a datacentre at Grange Castle Business Park projected to emit around 224,250 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The expansion of such facilities across Europe is drawing criticism from environmental groups, who argue that emissions, water use and energy demands are being overlooked in the race to meet digital demand.
Analysts at Bain & Company warn that by 2035, datacentres and AI could be responsible for up to 2 per cent of global emissions and 17 per cent of industrial emissions, with the heaviest impact in areas dependent on fossil fuels. In the UK, this raises questions about the pace of datacentre development and the urgency of investment in renewable energy and grid infrastructure.
Campaigners are calling on the government to reconsider the scale of expansion, warning that without stronger environmental oversight, datacentre growth risks undermining the country’s climate commitments. They argue for policies that align AI infrastructure with sustainable practices, ensuring that innovation does not come at the cost of environmental responsibility.
As the Thurrock proposal enters the planning phase, it has become a flashpoint for the UK’s broader dilemma — how to lead in AI while honouring climate goals. The outcome may help shape not only local impacts but the future balance between digital growth and environmental sustainability.
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