Organisations representing Scotland’s energy sector have introduced a new industry charter, ‘Delivering green data centres in Scotland’, aimed at establishing five core principles for the sustainable design and development of future data centre infrastructure across the country.
The charter addresses key opportunities within data centre development, focusing on renewable energy integration, energy efficiency, water conservation, district heating potential, and community benefits. A coalition of industry bodies, including Prosper, the Renewable Energy Association, Ravenscraig Ltd, Heat Network Scotland, and Apatura Energy, supports this initiative.
The accompanying report highlights the advantages that strategically located data centres can offer to an often-strained electricity grid. It also examines the anticipated water consumption of modern facilities constructed to the highest environmental specifications.
Giles Hanglin, Chief Executive of data centre developer Apatura Energy, emphasised the critical role data centres play in contemporary society.
“Data centres are an established and essential feature of daily life, underpinning the way we shop, communicate and learn, to lifesaving medical research, climate modelling, and the systems that support banking, transport, and telecommunications,” Hanglin stated.
He noted that the UK Government designated data centres as ‘Critical National Infrastructure’ in September 2024, placing them on par with essential services like energy, water, and emergency services. Similarly, the Scottish Government regards green data centres as ‘essential infrastructure’, capable of delivering secure, low-carbon operations, supporting local communities, fostering employment, and stimulating economic growth when designed sustainably.
Despite this, Scotland currently relies heavily on data centres situated outside its borders, including in the USA, Norway, England, Dublin, and Dubai, according to Hanglin.
In Case You Missed It:
Offshore Energies UK Responds to Clean Energy Funding Plans and the new fair work charter
GB Energy takes centre stage at Highlands Green Energy Conference
Planned £8.2 Billion Data Centre Campus faces scrutiny over environmental impact
New Mull-based diving charter to explore Scotland’s hidden underwater treasures
Data centres have been identified as a target industry for investment within the Scottish Government’s Green Industrial Strategy, a plan launched in 2021 to position Scotland as a leading zero-carbon data hosting location. Furthermore, Scotland’s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) recognises green data centres as a National Development, deeming them a ‘fundamentally important utility’ for Scotland’s economic and social requirements.
The charter’s five core principles are:
- Renewable energy: Data centres should prioritise the use of low-carbon electricity, including direct connections to renewable generation sources where feasible.
- Energy efficiency: New data centres are expected to adhere to stringent energy-efficiency standards and comply with Building (Scotland) Regulations, including Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) upon completion, alongside a commitment to continuous lifecycle monitoring and demonstrated improvements.
- Water consumption: Facilities should be located in areas with abundant water resources and utilise closed-loop cooling systems to minimise water usage and reduce demand impacts.
- District heat networks: All new data centres should be ‘district heat ready’, incorporating necessary off-take technology to facilitate efficient connection for local businesses, communities, and nearby land users to heat network infrastructure.
- Community benefits: Data centre deployment should aim to maximise net economic advantages, encompassing local employment opportunities, associated business development, and supply chain benefits.
Hanglin concluded: “Scotland has some of the most rigorous planning and environmental regulations in the world, meaning data centres developed here will have a lower impact than those built elsewhere. Plus, they can bring significant inward investment, jobs and community benefit.” He reiterated that the charter’s principles are designed to ensure all data centres in Scotland are constructed to the highest sustainability standards.
