Digital Reef’s proposed London datacentre could emit 1M tonnes of CO2 annually, clashing with UK net zero goals

A proposed hyperscale data centre on the outskirts of London would pump out more than 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, according to planning documents. That’s roughly the carbon footprint of 27,000 flights from London to New York, packed into a single facility sitting on green belt land. The project, developed by Digital Reef as part of the Reef Origin ecosystem, has been pitched as a potential “zero carbon facility.” The planning documents tell a different story, one that puts the development on a direct collision course with the UK’s legally binding net-zero targets. What Digital Reef is building The East Havering Data Centre campus would sprawl across approximately 175 hectares of land in North Ockendon, straddling the boroughs of Havering and Thurrock. The core development area covers about 40 hectares, with total floorspace projected between 330,000 and 400,000 square meters. In terms of raw power, the facility is designed to deliver up to 600 MW of capacity distributed across multiple buildings. The original plan called for 10 units of 50 MW and 5 units of 20 MW. The estimated price tag sits at £5.3 billion. Digital Reef has positioned the site near the Warley sub...