UK's Largest AI Supercomputer Delayed to Mid-2030s Due to Power Shortage

The UK government-promoted Lawford data center project in Essex will not open as planned next year and could be delayed to the mid-2030s. Announced in 2025 as the UK's largest AI supercomputer, the project is built by startup Nscale, which plans to go public this year at a $35 billion valuation.

UK Power Networks, responsible for connecting the project to the local grid, has told Nscale that the grid won't provide enough power until the early-to-mid 2030s. Nscale says the project will still move forward and has begun studying on-site power generation.

Ofgem previously warned of a backlog in power connection applications. In June, 315 data centers were queuing to connect to the UK grid, with total demand reaching 73GW, while the UK's peak national demand is only 45GW. The Lawford project's requested capacity is up to 90MW, equivalent to the power use of about 315,000 households.