A former steel mill could be redeveloped into one of the UK’s largest green AI data centres, under a proposal from developer Apatura Energy.
The Ravenscraig site could develop a major data centre with battery energy storage on 160 acres at the post-industrial site, located in central Scotland, less than 20km east of Glasgow.
Last month, Apatura put forward Ravenscraig as a candidate in the UK Government’s AI Growth Zone initiative which is now under consideration by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.
The process is designed to identify the very best sites in Britain in what is becoming a global race for AI supremacy. The site has not yet been selected, and the bid remains under.
Giles Hanglin, chief executive of Apatura, said: “This proposal plays strongly to Scotland’s strengths – in green energy, in AI, in education and in skills – and would complement the country’s significant capabilities in big data and research.
“We’ve secured the land and grid, and we’re already working closely with relevant organisations locally and nationally to make sure the benefits are widely felt.
“If we were selected as an AI Growth Zone it would be a significant endorsement of our ambition to make Scotland a powerhouse of green, AI-enabled digital infrastructure – starting with Ravenscraig and extending across the central belt.”
The area would bringing more than 2000 new jobs and an estimated £3.9 billion capital investment, Apatura claimed. It would also contribute an additional 0.4% to Scotland’s annual GDP.
The Ravenscraig Steelworks closed in 1992.