UK's Loughton AI supercomputing project delayed by power supply issues, likely to mid-2030s

The Loughton large data center project in Essex, heavily promoted by the UK government as the country's largest AI supercomputer, will not be able to open as planned in 2027 due to insufficient power supply, potentially slipping to the mid-2030s, according to The Guardian on September 25.

The project, announced in 2025, is being built by British startup Nscale. UK Power Networks, responsible for grid connections, has told Nscale that the grid will not be able to provide sufficient electricity until the early to mid-2030s.

Nscale said the project will still proceed, and it is studying the feasibility of on-site power generation and ways to shorten grid connection time. The unresolved power issue also highlights energy supply as a growing obstacle for data center construction.

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) previously warned of a backlog in grid connection applications. Data shows that in June 2026, 315 data centers were queuing for grid access, with combined demand of 73GW, while the UK's national peak electricity demand was only 45GW. The Loughton project applied for up to 90MW of power supply, equivalent to the consumption of about 315,000 households.