Report outlines ambition to start work on £10bn Northumberland data centre in 2025

American asset management firm Blackstone is behind plans for a redevelopment of the 235-acre former Blyth Power Station site in Cambois.

Consultants acting on behalf of QTS, its cloud and AI data centre company, have prepared a scoping report to outline environmental factors to be assessed in the planning stage.

The purpose of the report is to ‘ensure that potential impacts that could give rise to likely significant effects are proportionately and appropriately addressed’ in an Environmental Impact Assessment.

It addresses issues including ecology, transport and access, air quality, noise and vibration, water, climate, socio-economics, health and visual impact.

The report adds that proposals are being developed for an outline planning application, with all matters reserved except for access, for the erection of up to 10 data centres totalling up to 540,000 sq m.

"The proposed development will be a flagship project and one of the largest data centre campuses in Europe,” adds the report.

"It is anticipated that the proposed development will be built out in phases across a period of approximately nine years.

"Construction works are anticipated to commence in 2025 once the outline planning permission has been granted.

“Although the details of phasing have yet to be determined, it is currently anticipated that the first phase would comprise the build out of two date centres.”

The campus could draw further investment of between £5bn and £10bn from the centre’s future tenant, likely a tech giant such as Google or Microsoft.

Data centres are used to house computer systems to store and manage large amounts of digital data.

In April, councillors agreed to revise their right to buy back the land in exchange for a fund of up to £110m, set to be invested across the county. Blackstone’s plans were contingent on this being agreed.

The council and Blackstone estimate the project will create 1,600 direct jobs, including 1,200 long-term construction jobs, and over 2,700 indirect jobs.

The site was previously earmarked for an electric car battery gigafactory built by start up firm Britishvolt, but these proposals have now been ditched.