How are Norfolk people reacting to huge data centre plans?
The demand for new data centres could lead to one of the biggest in the country, being built in a rural Fenland village.
The demand for new data centres could lead to one of the biggest in the country, being built in a rural Fenland village.
Evolution Power Limited (EPL) revealed on Thursday it wants to create the facility on farmland near Tilney St Lawrence, a few miles from King's Lynn.
It would require up to one gigawatt (GW) of power at any given time and the firm also wants to build a large solar farm that would generate up to 1.3GW, to support it.
EPL was founded in 2021 and is run by directors Giles Frampton and Conor McNally.
Partnering with the Finnish firm Korkia - which has invested in energy projects in Europe, North and South America – the company has plans for renewable schemes in the UK.
Alistair Beales, Independent leader of the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, said he accepted renewal energy was important, but felt Norfolk was seeing most of the green energy projects coming forward in the country.
The scheme, named Longmarsh Green Energy, is already causing concern, with residents saying they have been left by the scale of the site.
As well as the data centre, there are proposals for a solar farm to be developed across two sites - on land surrounding the data centre and another close to the villages of Fincham and Barton Bendish.
However residents can still have their say and a consultation is currently open via the project's website until 26 November.
It could take six months for the plans to be examined by the Planning Inspectorate.
Dorset Council refused permission for the incinerator in 2023 but the decision was overturned by the government following an appeal.
The data centre itself would be built south of the A47 in an area dominated by farmland.
The data centre would also connect to the existing electricity substation at Walpole.
Following the release of the plans this week, people living nearby have been by the scale of the scheme.
What happened
The demand for new data centres could lead to one of the biggest in the country, being built in a rural Fenland village.
Evolution Power Limited (EPL) revealed on Thursday it wants to create the facility on farmland near Tilney St Lawrence, a few miles from King's Lynn.
It would require up to one gigawatt (GW) of power at any given time and the firm also wants to build a large solar farm that would generate up to 1.3GW, to support it.
What changed
EPL was founded in 2021 and is run by directors Giles Frampton and Conor McNally.
Partnering with the Finnish firm Korkia - which has invested in energy projects in Europe, North and South America – the company has plans for renewable schemes in the UK.
Alistair Beales, Independent leader of the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, said he accepted renewal energy was important, but felt Norfolk was seeing most of the green energy projects coming forward in the country.
Who is affected
The scheme, named Longmarsh Green Energy, is already causing concern, with residents saying they have been left by the scale of the site.
As well as the data centre, there are proposals for a solar farm to be developed across two sites - on land surrounding the data centre and another close to the villages of Fincham and Barton Bendish.
Why it matters
However residents can still have their say and a consultation is currently open via the project's website until 26 November.
It could take six months for the plans to be examined by the Planning Inspectorate.
Technical details
Dorset Council refused permission for the incinerator in 2023 but the decision was overturned by the government following an appeal.
The data centre itself would be built south of the A47 in an area dominated by farmland.
The data centre would also connect to the existing electricity substation at Walpole.
Response
Following the release of the plans this week, people living nearby have been by the scale of the scheme.
Beales said he also questioned whether the site's close proximity to RAF Marham could pose a stumbling block for the scheme.
What security teams should do
The developer has claimed thousands of construction jobs would be created, along with more than 500 on site.
If approved, the centres are planned to be operational by 2032.
What remains unknown
Sophie Pendrick said she felt due to the unknown disruption it could bring and she is worried about the water usage.
Attribution
BBC News: The demand for new data centres could lead to one of the biggest in the country, being built in a rural Fenland village.