The proposed £14.7 billion East Havering Data Centre Campus in North Ockendon faces intense opposition over its projected 1.2 million tonne annual carbon footprint, which developer Digital Reef admits is incompatible with the UK's 2050 net-zero target. The 600-megawatt facility would occupy over 175 hectares of green belt land and consume electricity equivalent to 1 million households. This clash highlights a broader national tension, mirrored in Brick Lane where residents are fighting a high-frequency trading datacentre to demand housing instead.
East Havering datacentre emissions
- ▪By 2038, the operational emissions of the East Havering Data Centre Campus are projected to consume nearly 20 times the carbon budget of the London Borough of Havering.
- ▪At a likely 50% load, the East Havering Data Centre Campus would consume 2.65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the demand of over 1 million UK households.
- ▪The proposed East Havering Data Centre Campus in North Ockendon is projected to generate 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually once fully operational.
- ▪The East Havering Data Centre Campus is estimated to generate more than 72 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over its projected 60-year lifespan.
National Grid capacity upgrades
- ▪To power the East Havering Data Centre Campus, planned upgrades include a new 400-kilovolt National Grid substation and a new 132-kilovolt UK Power Networks facility on adjacent land, with full connection expected by 2033.
- ▪National Grid Electricity System Operator reported that UK datacentre developers have requested 72.8 gigawatts of electricity connections by 2039, which is nearly 60% more than the UK's peak power demand in 2024.
- ▪The East Havering Data Centre Campus is designed to deliver up to 600 megawatts of capacity, powered primarily by a connection to the National Grid via the Warley substation.
Green belt land conversion
- ▪The proposed East Havering Data Centre Campus would occupy approximately 175 to 218 hectares of green belt land in North Ockendon, straddling the boroughs of Havering and Thurrock.
- ▪The North Ockendon Residents Association opposed the East Havering Data Centre Campus, stating the development would destroy crop-producing farmland and wildlife habitats on green belt land.
Brick Lane housing conflict
- ▪Residents in east London are opposing a proposed 5,200-square-meter datacentre at the old Truman Brewery site on Brick Lane, campaigning for affordable housing on the site instead.
- ▪The UK government is scheduled to rule on the Brick Lane datacentre proposal by August 17, 2026, after Housing Secretary Steve Reed called in the decision following a public inquiry.
High-frequency trading infrastructure
- ▪The proposed Brick Lane datacentre is projected to have a peak power output of 5.2 megawatts, which campaigners state is enough to power approximately 15,000 homes.
- ▪Planning documents show the proposed Brick Lane datacentre would serve high-frequency trading systems for City firms rather than artificial intelligence applications.
UK net-zero target tensions
- ▪By early 2025, the UK government estimated that datacentres consumed 2.5% of the UK's electricity, with predictions that this demand would increase fourfold by 2030.
- ▪If the East Havering Data Centre Campus cannot meet its zero-carbon target on site, Digital Reef estimates it would pay approximately £77.6 million into the London Borough of Havering's carbon offset fund.
- ▪Digital Reef acknowledged in planning documents that the East Havering Data Centre Campus project does not align with a science-based 1.5 degrees Celsius compatible trajectory and achieving net zero by 2050.
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