Plans for a £16.5 billion data centre at the former Chapelcross nuclear plant in the south of Scotland have been submitted. If approved, developers CX Tech Ltd claim the scheme could generate over 500 full-time jobs and would be one of the largest worldwide in terms of power capacity.
CX Tech Ltd hopes work could commence next year, with an estimated completion time of about eight years. The applicant states the project aligns with efforts to redevelop the site, which operated as a nuclear plant from 1959 to 2004.
However, a local campaign has emerged against the plans, citing concerns over visual impact, potential strain on local energy supplies, and increased costs. Opponents also fear the loss of agricultural land and woodland, describing the proposed "large scale industrialisation" as "unacceptable."
Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) stated the data centre's 1000MW capacity would exceed any currently operating globally. APRS also highlighted that the majority of the scheme would be on greenfield land and questioned employment claims, noting the centre's energy needs could be equivalent to approximately 2.2 million households.
Scottish Green MSP Laura Moodie described the application as one of the most "seriously concerning" to date, arguing it endangers energy supply and the natural environment. The Scottish government is expected to publish national guidance for local authorities on such projects within the next three months, with ministers not anticipating planning decisions before then.