Huge AI data centre set for the north east of England

One of Europe’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) data centres is set to be built in the north east of England, creating up to 4,000 jobs.

The £10bn investment, by US-based equity firm Blackstone was initially announced by Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer on his recent visit to New York.

Construction on the site, which was originally earmarked for the failed BritishVolt gigafactory, is expected to begin next year.

Once complete, the facility is set to store the vast amount of data needed to power AI, and to store the information generated by AI systems.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The number one mission of my government is to grow our economy, so that hard-working British people reap the benefits – and more foreign investment is a crucial part of that plan.

“New investment such as the one we’ve announced with Blackstone is a huge vote of confidence in the UK and it proves that Britain is back as a major player on the global stage and we’re open for business.”

Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone, said: “The UK is a top investment market for Blackstone because of its powerful combination of talent and innovation along with a highly transparent legal system.

“We are making significant commitments to building social housing, facilitating the energy transition, growing life sciences companies and developing critical infrastructure needed to fuel the digital economy. This includes a projected £10bn investment to build one of Europe’s largest hyperscale data centres supporting 4,000 jobs. Blackstone is committed to Britain.”