Launch of UK’s 'largest AI supercomputer' delayed by power supply problems
A huge datacentre project hailed by the UK government will miss its launch date next year and could be delayed into the mid-2030s.
The site in Loughton, Essex, was described as the country’s largest AI supercomputer when it was announced in 2025, but power supply problems mean it now faces a lengthy wait before coming online.
Doubts had already emerged about the scheme after the Guardian revealed in March that the planned location was still an operational scaffolding yard...
Keir Starmer’s government cited the Loughton project when announcing the UK’s AI strategy in 2025, describing the site as the “largest UK sovereign AI datacentre”. Datacentres are the central nervous system of AI technology such as chatbots.
Ofgem, the energy industry regulator, has warned of a logjam in applications for electricity connections. In June, it revealed there were 315 datacentres queueing to connect to the National Grid, representing 73GW of demand – compared with the peak energy demand for the entire country of 45GW.
Translation. Yes we had a scheme because it is true that we wish to build a significant number of AI datacentres here in the UK. An excellent and well thought out scheme it was too, but we didn't claim any of it was plausible.
Probably the first trick acquired by any Stone Age schemer was to give his enemy certain truths so that he should not regard the balance as lies.
Christopher Bush - The Perfect Murder Case (1929)
5 comments:
This reminded me of the great Weird Ed vs Bacon Sandwich tussle.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/25/cant-fly-can-fight-escaped-emu-headbutts-man-country-lane/
It took *years* for EV charging power supply to reach a motorway service station near me.
A huge datacentre project? Probably years.
By the time they get built and have power mid 2030s the technology will have advanced to the extent it's 10% of the size and 10x faster. They will be outdated before they can be operational.
Plausibility, feasibility, pie in the sky.
dearieme - ha ha, I've heard it's best not to tangle with an Emu, Rod Hull's was tame compared to the real thing.
DJ - maybe the UK government takes the view that it could take so long to supply the electricity that data centres will have shrunk to the size of a shoe box and a three pin plug will do.
Woodsy - and it would be no surprise if that's the government view, delay and wait for them to shrink.
James - without electricity it certainly is.
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