Drax to turn coal-era infrastructure into data centres by 2027

11 Dec Drax to turn coal-era infrastructure into data centres by 2027

London, December 11, 2025, (Oilandgaspress) ––The Drax Power Station site comprises over 1,000 acres and 4GW of capacity and grid access, with 2.6GW of active dispatchable generation, cooling systems, and proximity to the UK fibre network.

The Group is focused on options to maximise value from the site, which could utilise multiple generation technologies including its existing biomass generation as well as flexible, renewable energy, to continue to support energy security, while potentially meeting the power demands of a large-scale data centre and in the long-term the potential for carbon removals from BECCS

Drax is considering a range of options for the site which could utilise its existing land, grid access, active generation, cooling solutions, site security, location and skilled workforce to meet the needs of data centre developers.

Drax is preparing a planning application to support the potential option for a first phase data centre of c.100MW on land identified at Drax Power Station, using existing infrastructure and transformers previously used to support coal generation to import power directly from the grid (front-of-the-meter). This could support the operation of a data centre at Drax Power Station as soon as 2027.

In the long term Drax is assessing options for over 1GW of data centre capacity, which is expected to utilise existing generation capabilities at Drax Power Station to provide a distributed (behind-the-meter) energy solution with around-the-clock renewable power directly to a data centre under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement, subject to necessary consents.

Any decision to develop data centres at Drax Power Station will require a full assessment of the capital cost and investment case as well as establishment of the commercial and development structures, including joint ventures.

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