Plans for new 'green' data centre approved in Bradford
Developed by Deep Green, the data centre will recycle the heat it produces – pumping it into the neighbouring energy centre that will go live this Autumn.
PLANS for an innovative new data centre have been described as “a major vote of confidence in Bradford.”
A planning application to build a new data centre at the Junction of Thornton Road and Listerhills Road has this week been approved by Bradford Council.
Developed by Deep Green, the data centre will recycle the heat it produces – pumping it into the neighbouring energy centre that will go live this Autumn.
That energy centre will use air source heat pumps to heat numerous buildings, including City Hall and the University of Bradford, meaning the data centre will become part of the new Bradford Heating Network.
Deep Green described the 5.6-megawatt data centre as a “landmark project” that will help reduce Bradford’s carbon emissions by 4,500 tonnes a year.
A statement from the company says “Unlike conventional data centres (which consume vast amounts of water and power simply to cool their servers) Deep Green’s model eliminates water usage and reuses up to 95 per cent of generated heat for practical local benefit.
“The Bradford site will provide high-density colocation capacity for universities, public sector bodies and businesses running AI inference and data-intensive workloads.”
Plans for the data centre were submitted last year and were approved by planning officers this week.
One condition of the approval is that the fuel used in the on site back-up generator must be restricted to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil to “minimise public exposure to generator emissions as far as possible.”
After the plans were approved, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This investment is a major vote of confidence in Bradford and in our region’s future as an AI powerhouse.
“Deep Green’s pioneering approach will power our businesses, heat our communities, support the creation of good jobs and help us meet our net zero ambitions.
“As the UK’s youngest city and its leading producer of applied AI postgraduates, Bradford is perfectly placed to harness this opportunity and help us innovate to build a stronger, better off West Yorkshire.”
Mark Lee, Chief Executive of Deep Green, said: “Planning approval in Bradford is a major milestone – not just for Deep Green, but for a different kind of digital infrastructure. The UK needs more data centres. That’s a fact. But it does not need more waste.
“Our model is simple: use the electrons twice. First to power AI and high-performance computing. Then to heat homes and buildings. Bradford is showing what’s possible when digital infrastructure is designed around community benefit from day one.”
John Hartley, Chief Executive of 1Energy – the company that will run the neighbouring energy network, said: “Heat networks are all about making better use of local energy resources, and this is a brilliant example of that in action. By capturing and reusing surplus heat from the Deep Green facility, Bradford is showing how cities can combine digital infrastructure with sustainable heat supply in a way that delivers real benefits for local people and businesses.
“It’s exactly the kind of innovative infrastructure partnership the UK needs as we look to strengthen energy security while supporting economic growth and digital innovation.”