John Swinney urged to ‘pause’ applications for hyperscale data centres

First Minister John Swinney has been challenged to bring in a moratorium on new hyperscale data centres until a “clear national strategy” for how such applications should be considered can be put in place.

Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer made the plea, telling the First Minister that the 24 such developments currently being proposed would use up to 6,000 megawatts of electricity.

That is more than 1.5 times Scotland’s entire national power use at peak times, the Green said, insisting it was “completely impossible” for them all to be given the go-ahead.

With some of the proposed data centres expected to be determined over the summer, while Holyrood is in recess, he called on the First Minister to come back to Parliament next week and announce a “pause on approvals for new hyperscale data centres”.

It comes amid growing concerns from environmentalists about such centres, and their levels of energy and water use.

The Green co=leader made the call as he insisted councils were having to deal with planning applications for such developments “in the dark”.

Just one of the proposed hyperscale data centres in Auchertool, Fife, would be the size of 100 football pitches with “monumental” energy demands that would be the same as 1.3 million homes, Mr Greer said.

Raising the issue at First Minister’s Questions, the Green said: “The Government’s policy is to support what they refer to as green data centres, but this position was decided  before ChatGPT existed, before Elon Musk launched grok and before any of these hyperscale proposals came forward.”

He continued: “Data centres can play an important role in our economy, but not if we let a free-for-all of unworkable applications continue.

“So, can I ask the First Minister will he agree to a moratorium on new data centres above 50 megawatts until we can agree a clear national strategy and give councils the specific guidance they need before they make decisions on individual applications?”

Mr Swinney, however, insisted that the Green’s concerns were dealt with by the “detail of planning policy”.

The First Minister added that “the criteria for the consideration and the assessment of such developments is set out very clearly in planning policy”.

The Scottish Government would “consider all emerging planning issues”, the First Minister stating, adding that the Government has to “monitor the implications of planning decisions at local level”.

But, in response to Mr Greer’s questions, he said: “I think the detail of planning policy addresses the issues about which he is concerned, particularly in relation to renewable energy use, particularly in relation to energy efficient technologies, particularly in relation to water consumption and the generation of heat.

“So, the planning policy is there to enable local authorities to make the appropriate determinations that they consider necessary.”