A proposed data centre at Drax’s North Yorkshire power station could emit 8.6 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, nearly double the yearly emissions of all flights from Gatwick Airport, according to a campaign group analysis.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimated that Drax’s planned 1.2-gigawatt data centre would require 4.9 million tonnes of wood annually, generating 8.6 million tonnes of CO₂ under continuous operation. This figure, based on Drax’s 2025 annual report, surpasses the 4.79 million tonnes of CO₂ emitted by all Gatwick flights in 2024, according to The Guardian.
A total of 315 data centres are awaiting connection to the UK’s electricity grid, accounting for 73GW of demand. This is almost double the peak winter energy demand for the entire UK. Drax’s publicly available documents outline plans for a 1.2-gigawatt facility, where 100MW would be sourced from the electricity grid and the remaining capacity from its own power station. The Drax power station currently burns millions of tonnes of imported wood to create energy.
Campaigners Call It “One of the Dirtiest Datacentres”
Matt Williams, a senior advocate for NRDC, called the project one of the dirtiest datacentres out there,
citing the vast wood consumption and emissions. Oliver Hayes of Global Action Plan condemned the practice of burning trees for energy, stating, Burning millions of trees to power server farms is indefensible.
The NRDC’s calculation assumes the data centre would operate at full capacity year-round, a scenario that has not yet been finalized. Drax, however, disputes the methodology, arguing that the NRDC’s analysis contains “basic errors” in how it accounts for biomass emissions and the data centre’s power mix. A Drax spokesperson emphasized that the project could support UK economic growth
and “AI sovereignty” if approved.
Drax’s response called the NRDC a longstanding anti-biomass campaign group
and said its assertions were inaccurate and not independently verified. The company alleged basic errors involving international greenhouse-gas accounting standards for biomass and bioenergy, as well as the potential data centre’s power mix. Its objection concerns the calculation’s foundations, not just its headline total.
Drax’s Response and Government Scrutiny
The NRDC’s estimate assumes the data centre would run at a constant rate for every hour of the year. This is nearly double the total CO₂ emissions of all flights from Gatwick airport, which measured 4.79m tonnes in 2024. Drax’s 2025 report outlines plans to convert part of its biomass power plant into a data centre, with 100MW of energy supplied by the grid and the rest from its own station. The company defended its biomass operations as negative emissions,
claiming that regrowing forests offset CO₂ levels over 150 years. However, scientists and environmental experts challenge this approach, arguing that the carbon neutrality timeline is unrealistic.
Toby Perkins, a Labour MP and chair of the Commons environmental audit committee, warned that without strict measures, data centres could threaten the UK’s climate goals. Without the right measures in place, datacentres could represent a serious threat to the environment,
he said. Oliver Hayes of Global Action Plan called for a moratorium on new data centres until policy frameworks are established, calling the current lack of oversight a dereliction of duty.
Political and Industry Pressures
The UK government has resisted calls for a moratorium, fearing it would deter investment. Drax’s proposal remains in the early planning stages, with the company stating it could be operational by 2031 if approvals are secured. That is a conditional company timetable, rather than an approved opening date.
Environmental advocates argue that the project highlights a broader tension between tech expansion and climate commitments. The government must urgently set minimum standards for datacentres and rule out dirty energy generation like burning trees,
Williams said. Drax, meanwhile, maintains that its plans align with national ambitions for industrial renewal and energy independence.