Recently, media outlets have exposed planning documents for Google's new data center being built in Essex, UK. The project is expected to emit more than 570,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to the carbon emissions of about 500 short-haul flights per week. The data center is located in Saffron Walden, covering an area of 52 hectares (about 128 acres), and is planned to include up to four data centers. If approved, it will become a "hyper-scale" computing and artificial intelligence hub.

Data room Data center Server (1)

Image source note: The image was generated by AI, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney

The project was submitted by a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company, at a time when US President Trump and the UK government are seeking to increase investments in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The UK government predicts that the computing power required for AI will increase 13 times by 2035, and there is an urgent need for more data centers to meet this demand, thus promoting economic growth.

However, environmentalists have expressed concerns, arguing that large-scale data centers will significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions in the UK and put pressure on limited electricity and water resources. According to Google's planning documents, the operation of the facility will lead to an increase of 568,727 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions. In comparison, a representative from the environmental organization Foxglove pointed out that this level of emissions far exceeds that of a major international airport.

Currently, data centers in the UK already account for about 2.5% of the electricity consumption, and it is predicted that by 2030, the demand on the power grid will increase fourfold. Although the government believes that the carbon emissions from data centers will not significantly impact the UK's carbon budget because its goal of decarbonizing the grid is quite ambitious, they also acknowledge that without substantial investment, the UK may fall behind in the international competition.

In addition to the Essex project, the UK is also advancing other important data center projects, including a 1 billion pound plan for a former coal power plant site in Northamptonshire, which was approved in March this year and is related to cooperation between the UK and the US. Additionally, Google is in preliminary discussions about building a large data center in Teesside.

According to research by the global consulting firm Bain, by 2035, artificial intelligence and data centers could account for 2% of global emissions and 17% of industrial emissions. This impact is particularly significant in countries still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Google has not commented on the planning application for the Saffron Walden project, and regarding the rumors about Teesside, it has chosen not to comment.

Key points:

🌍 A new data center that is expected to emit 570,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually is set to be built in Essex, UK.

⚡ Data centers will place a huge burden on the UK's electricity demand in the future, with an expected fourfold increase by 2030.

🗣️ Environmentalists warn that data center emissions are much higher than those of international airports, and the government needs to pay more attention to environmental impacts.