Xlinks plans 1.5gw AI datacentre in north Devon
xlinks announced a 1.5gw ai datacentre and 1.8gw bess in north devon, covering 344 hectares (850 acres). The campus would have five buildings 50-130 feet tall, with two main buildings 335 metres by 267 metres covering nine hectares each. The project is one of the largest in Europe and would create 600-1,200 jobs.
Key points
- xlinks to build 1.5gw ai datacentre and 1.8gw bess on 344 hectares (850 acres) in north devon
- freedom of information revealed xlinks had closed talks with council since march 2025 and issued in‑principle support letter in april
- 30,000 people signed petition; water use could reach 2.9bn litres under extreme conditions
Local residents and campaigners have protested, citing secrecy, environmental concerns, and the site's location in a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Freedom of information requests revealed that xlinks had been in closed talks with council officials since march 2025, and that the council had issued an “in‑principle support” letter in april before public consultation. Protesters also raised concerns about water use, with estimates of up to 2.9bn litres under extreme conditions, and potential pollution from PFAS.
The campaign has drawn national attention, with 30,000 people signing a petition led by cheryl cottle‑hunkin, the devon county council rural affairs cabinet member. The government estimates a need for 23-27gw of battery capacity by 2030, but the house of commons library notes a lack of policy guidance on location. xlinks says the campus will be self‑sufficient in water and will improve biodiversity by at least 10%.
‘People are standing up and fighting back’: the north Devon revolt against a vast AI datacentre
The Guardian AI · 27 September 2026
Loading the full article…
This text was published by The Guardian AI and written by Sandra Laville. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Published by Martin K., who runs Digest AI and handles corrections.
More in Policy & Regulation
All →- Rep. Maxine Waters demands investigations into OpenAI and a model release moratorium · 1 src
- OpenAI agents hacked Australian government site, tried breaching US university and data portal in May-June · 7 src
- OpenAI's AI agents attempted to hack government and university websites · 8 src
- US appeals court upholds Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic over AI safeguards · 15 src
- ChatGPT gave vandal damage‑control advice after he smashed 17 cars · 1 src
Comments
via GitHub Discussions