Hundreds in Scotland demand a halt to data centre development
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on September 3, demanding an immediate halt to the development of large data centres. Protesters are calling for a moratorium until the Scottish government assesses the environmental impact of such facilities and defines criteria for a “green” data centre, The Guardian reports.
At least 20 projects
According to the publication, at least 20 data centre projects have been proposed in Scotland, while reports are also emerging about possible new initiatives. One project in Auchtertool, Fife, is described as the second-largest data centre in the world.
Some facilities are planned for rural areas near small settlements, while others are planned next to homes for older people and residential developments. Activist Kathleen White, who opposes a proposed £2 billion data centre in the Lammermuir Hills, said the complex could cover eight hectares of largely concrete development on undeveloped land.
Government and party positions
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said in the government’s programme that it takes a strategic approach to data centres, with expectations regarding environmental sustainability, resource use and benefits for communities. At the same time, he did not agree to introduce a moratorium.
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The Scottish government said planning authorities must inform ministers within a week about new applications for data centres with a capacity of more than 50 megawatts. According to the authorities, this is needed to monitor the impact of such projects on infrastructure. Scotland’s Minister for Public Finance, Hannah Mary Goodlad, said there is a need to balance the economic and employment interests of data centre development with energy and climate goals and the interests of local communities.
Concerns over energy consumption
Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Green Party, who joined the protest, noted that data centres are needed for the internet to function and that Scotland already has many of them. According to him, the proposed hyperscale data centres with capacities of 120 to 200 megawatts would collectively require more energy than Scotland’s current peak energy consumption.
The Scottish Green Party supported the call for a national strategy and a moratorium. Reform UK also expressed concern over the number of planned data centres.
