#ai-growth-zones

#ai-growth-zones

About 140 datacenters are in the queue to be connected to Britain's power grid, and their combined energy requirements are estimated to be more than the current peak electricity use for the entire country. It identified about 140 facilities, the majority of which are likely to receive a Gate 2 offer, which is a 'ready-to-connect' agreement, and these add up to a total of 50 GW of demand for electricity.

The UK government has confirmed North Wales as the location of its latest AI growth zone (AIGZ), while also revealing that there is no investment partner in place to get the construction part of the project off the ground. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the zone will "straddle" the Menai Strait to cover parts of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) and Gwynedd, and will create more than 3,400 jobs, including temporary construction roles and higher-paid jobs in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development.

"The AI growth zone will generate growth opportunities across the region, capitalising on access to the UK's largest source of low carbon and renewable energy, world-class universities and the region's emerging tech ecosystem in areas including advanced manufacturing, robotics and space," said the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), in a statement. It is understood that Cobalt Park is already home to three carrier-neutral colocation datacentres, which benefit from a dedicated energy supply from the National Grid.