UK Designates North Lanarkshire as AI Growth Zone to Enable 500MW Data Center Capacity
The UK government has established North Lanarkshire, Scotland, as an AI Growth Zone, facilitating the construction of 500MW of data center capacity by DataVita. This designation is expected to attract £8.2 billion ($11.3 billion) in private investment for data centers and 1GW of renewable energy projects.
AI Growth Zones, initiated in January 2025, offer financial incentives and priority power access for data center developments. A £543 million ($748.8 million) community fund will also support local projects over 15 years.
DataVita, which operates a 24MW site, aims to expand its capacity in the region but has not specified a timeline. The North Lanarkshire zone is the fifth of its kind in the UK, following similar initiatives in Wales, Oxfordshire, and Newcastle.
