Northumberland approves Blackstone’s data centre project
The centre will help meet the growing demand for data storage and cloud computing, alongside creating thousands of jobs.
Blackstone’s ambitious $13 billion ‘hyperscale’ data centre project in North East England has been given the green light by Northumberland County Council. The plan, which spans 540,000 square metres, was approved after a unanimous vote and is expected to represent an investment of up to £10 billion. The data centre will provide essential data storage and cloud computing services to businesses, addressing the rising demand in sectors such as AI.
The development is expected to generate substantial economic benefits, including up to 1,200 long-term construction jobs and hundreds of operational roles once the centre is running. Additionally, it could support up to 2,700 indirect jobs. As part of the agreement, Blackstone will contribute to a £110 million fund that will help drive growth along the Northumberland Line, a new railway route opened in December 2024.
This development follows the collapse of a previous plan to use the site for a Britishvolt facility, after the UK startup’s failure last year. With demand for data centres escalating, particularly due to AI advancements, this project is poised to play a crucial role in meeting growing technological needs across Europe.
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