Plans in for phase one of 6m sq ft Cambois data centre
Renaissance Land and QTS have firmed up details for the £10bn scheme on the former Blyth Power Station in Northumberland.
Designed by Corgan, the application addresses phase one of development, which will consist of two three-storey data centres along with a site security gatehouse, external plant compounds, and a fire storage and pumping facility.
Quod is the planning consultant on the project, which is being financed by Renaissance Land (owned by Blackstone) and will be developed and operated by Quality Technology Services.
The data centres will be modular, using a kit-of-parts approach in its design which will contribute to QTS’ sustainability efforts and efficiency in construction.
Positioned in the south west corner of the site, they will be the first centres seen as you enter the grounds and are expected to complete around 2029.
Four more phases will follow, with a final completion date estimated for 2035.
Landscaping buffer zones have been incorporated into the design to shield the development from nearby residential zones.
Northumberland granted outline permission for the project in April, granting permission for up to 10 data centres in total alongside supporting outbuildings.
Blyth Power Station operated from the 1950s until 2001, and was cleared in 2003. Since then, it has sat as brownfield land with coal deposits remaining beneath the site.
It was previously earmarked for a £3.8bn Britishvolt gigafactory site for electric vehicle battery production, until the company went into administration in 2023.
The wider site is approximately 250-acres, located to the west and south of Cambois village, around 30km north of Newcastle.
