1GW data center proposed alongside solar farm in Norfolk, UK

A data center of up to 1GW has been proposed alongside a massive new solar farm planned in Norfolk, UK.

The Longmarsh Green Energy project would span 4,695 acres across two sites outside the town of King's Lynn. One is south of the A47 near the village of Tilney St Lawrence, while the other is close to the villages of Fincham and Barton Bendish.

Details of the data center element are sparse at present, but developer Evolution Power Limited (EPL) said it will feature a closed-loop cooling system to keep water use to a minimum.

It will be powered by the solar farm, which could generate up to 1.3GW of energy, making it the largest facility of its kind in the UK. EPL also plans to install battery storage on the site, which will be connected to an existing substation at Walpole.

Legitimate concerns or Norfolk NIMBY-ism?

The company said the project could be up and running by 2032, and create 500 permanent jobs, alongside “thousands” of construction roles.

Its size means it is considered a nationally significant project under UK planning law, meaning the national government will rule on whether the project should go ahead, rather than local councilors.

North West Norfolk MP James Wild told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the development “could represent further large-scale industrialization of the landscape.”

Community consultation on the project is running until November 26, ahead of the submission of a formal planning application.

EPL is a UK-based renewable energy developer. According to its website, it is working on three other solar farms, two in Kent and one in Hertfordshire, but does not appear to have any experience of building data centers.

Norfolk does not have a large data center market, though a 150MW facility is being planned outside the city of Norwich. Known as the Apex data center, it is facing significant opposition from nearby residents.

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