Planned data centre could create up to 1,000 jobs

Up to 1,000 jobs could be created by a new artificial intelligence data centre in North Lincolnshire.

A planning application has been submitted for the "AI data centre campus" by the A15 next to Elsham Wolds Industrial Estate.

It would cover up to 435 acres (176 hectares) of agricultural fields.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), construction costs are estimated as between £5.5bn and £9bn, excluding the cost of the computing equipment.

The outline application suggests it could comprise up to 15 individual data centre buildings as well as a greenhouse complex and energy centre, the LDRS said.

An estimated 2,600 to 3,600 jobs a year on and off site would be ed during the ten-year construction of the facility, according to the LDRS.

A proposed energy centre on site would produce up to 49.9MW of electricity a year.

Next to it would be a greenhouse complex, using waste heat from the cooling of the data centre buildings to grow agricultural produce.

An economic report for the greenhouse predicts it could grow 4,728 tonnes of tomatoes a year ing an estimated 64 jobs on and off site.

There would also be a creche, café, gym and small shop which would be available to workers at the existing industrial estate.

Last year, North Lincolnshire Council approved plans for a £2.2bn data centre by the A180 near South Killingholme, which it said would create almost 400 jobs.

The application for the Elsham Wolds development is open for residents' comments until 26 June.

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