An analysis by the non-profit group Foxglove has found that two proposed datacentres in southern England are expected to generate more carbon emissions each year than the UK operations of the oil and gas giant ExxonMobil. Once fully operational, the Wapseys Wood site in Buckinghamshire and the Quest Park site in Bedfordshire would draw a combined 1.3GW of electricity and release over 4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the group said.
The figure, based on government data on the carbon intensity of electricity generation, contrasts with the 3.9 million tonnes ExxonMobil emitted in the UK in 2023, according to the energy thinktank Ember. However, because both facilities are facing long waits to connect to the national grid, their developers are seeking to build dedicated on-site gas-fired power stations, which would add to their overall carbon footprint.
The projects are among the first to be fast-tracked through the UK government’s nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) regime, which bypasses local planning authorities and allows decisions to be taken centrally. That approach has drawn criticism from campaigners and politicians who say it reduces local scrutiny at a time when more transparency is needed.
The government has disputed Foxglove’s calculations, saying they assume the datacentres will run at 100% utilisation from day one, which officials described as inaccurate. Foxglove’s head of communications, Tom Hegarty, responded that assuming full utilisation is standard industry practice. Kierra Box of Friends of the Earth argued that because the aim is for datacentres to operate at high load, examining peak-level predictions is valid.
The findings have alarmed several MPs and campaigners. Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green party in England and Wales, called the projected emissions “absolutely horrifying,” while Toby Perkins, the Labour MP chairing a parliamentary inquiry into datacentres’ environmental impact, said the analysis was a powerful reminder that without proper safeguards, datacentres could pose a serious threat to legally binding climate goals. Oliver Hayes of Global Action Plan described the projects as “catastrophic” for carbon budgets, and Sam Hunter-Jones of ClientEarth noted that every megawatt used by a datacentre is a megawatt that cannot replace fossil fuels elsewhere.
The government maintains that datacentres are vital to the economy and that its own pathways show the rapid rollout can fit within the UK’s seventh carbon budget. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the UK would enable the growth of new industries by building unprecedented amounts of clean power. Wapseys Wood declined to comment, and Quest Park did not respond to a request for comment.