Overview
- Developers want to build a hyperscale site near Auchertool, Fife, that would cover about 170 acres and deliver roughly 600MW of power, making it one of the largest data centres in the world.
- Local resistance has grown quickly, with more than 1,600 formal objections lodged and planned protests at Holyrood and in Edinburgh as residents cite noise, heat, flood risk and falling property values.
- Scotland’s finance minister has ordered planning authorities to notify the government about any project above 50MW and to require environmental assessments for some proposals, and parliament is discussing tighter limits or a moratorium.
- Developers say the project would bring hundreds of jobs and significant investment, with an independent estimate cited for construction job‑years and several hundred operational roles if approved.
- Industry bodies warn the buildout would demand large amounts of electricity and cooling water — Water UK estimates existing data centres use millions of litres daily — which could force grid and water upgrades paid for by households and raise bills.