Firm secures £300m for data centre rollout in Scotland’s AI Growth Zone

Around 700 jobs are set to be created after a Scottish firm secured a £300m deal to build two major AI data centres in North Lanarkshire.

Data centre firm DataVita has landed the huge debt facility to expand its existing site and build a second centre in the region’s AI Growth Zone.

The deal has been backed by a £202m guarantee from the National Wealth Fund, with the cash financing the expansion of DataVita’s existing DV1 data centre and the construction of a new site, known as DV3.

Both centres have already been contracted to AI cloud giant CoreWeave on a 15-year lease. It provides infrastructure to some of the world’s biggest AI companies and laboratories.

Economy secretary Stephen Flynn said: “This investment marks a milestone in the creation of Scotland’s first AI Growth Zone in North Lanarkshire. I welcome the economic growth it is set to deliver across the region – including more than 3,400 new jobs and private investment totalling more than £8bn.

“The Scottish Government’s AI Strategy sets out a clear plan to harness the economic and social benefits of AI to help ensure we translate our innovation and expertise into more businesses, jobs and investment.

“We will continue to work closely with DataVita and Growth Zone partners to realise the full economic and employment opportunities of this investment over the coming years.”

The financing for the project was secured from a group of lenders including ING, ABN AMRO, Santander, the Scottish National Investment Bank and Siemens Financial Services through Siemens Bank.

The National Wealth Fund guarantee covers 80% of a £252.5m tranche of lending provided by ING, ABN AMRO and Santander.

The rest of the financing, provided by the Scottish National Investment Bank and Siemens Financial Services, is not covered by the guarantee.

UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan said: “AI is already helping scientists discover new medicines, supporting better public services and helping businesses get more done.

“The countries that build the infrastructure behind this technology will be the ones that attract investment, create jobs and help shape the industries of the future.

“That’s why today’s announcements matter. They will help ensure Scotland is at the forefront of one of the biggest economic opportunities of our time, bringing investment, reindustrialisation and opportunities to communities like Lanarkshire.

“For local people, that means more than new buildings and technology. It means the chance to develop new skills, access new careers and benefit from the growth and investment that AI can bring.”

The development is being billed as a major step forward for Scotland’s ambitions to become a hub for artificial intelligence.

It will deliver what is being described as Scotland’s first AI data centres within a designated AI Growth Zone.

The two centres are also expected to be the first phase of a much larger data centre campus planned for the area.

On Monday, the Scottish Government rejected calls for a pause on data centres being built in the country amid concerns raised by campaigners,

Public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad said the Scottish Government would instead require councils and other planning authorities to notify them of an application for a data centre within seven days.

Ms Goodlad also announced that a planning application for a data centre in western Edinburgh had been recalled and will be ruled on by ministers, while two other proposals – another in the capital and one in Fife – will be required to undergo an environmental impact assessment.