Thousands march in Edinburgh against AI data centres ahead of Scottish guidance

Thousands march from the Royal Mile to Parliament

Thousands of people marched on Saturday, 14 November, from the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to the Scottish Parliament, protesting against large data centres used to run artificial intelligence. Protesters worry about the environmental impact of these facilities and oppose plans to expand this kind of infrastructure. Some carried banners reading 'AI data centres threaten humanity' and 'AI data centres are a cost to the Earth', and some wore special costumes. The Scotsman described a colourful gathering with bagpipes and music, followed by speeches at the Parliament. A PA photo caption says more than 80 organisations and groups supported the march.

Government guidance and earlier protests

The immediate trigger was the Scottish Government's announcement of new planning rules for data centres, which it says will be published before the end of the year. The government says it is developing a strategic approach aimed at maximising the social benefits of data centres located in Scotland, a claim protesters do not share. Protesters argue that the expansion could bring serious consequences for the environment and local communities. The movement predates the march, as more than 300 people from communities opposed to hyperscale data centre proposals rallied outside the Parliament at the start of September. In mid-September, a parliamentary debate ended in a vote to pause data centre decisions until guidance is in place.

Scale of the Scottish projects

Sources differ on how many facilities are running. One account says seven data centres are operating in Scotland with at least 15 more in planning, while another BBC-sourced report says 15 are already operating. The largest existing site is DataVita in Airdrie, near Glasgow, rated at 12 MW. A far larger 1,000 MW proposal in Dumfries and Galloway, which the BBC places at Chapelcross, would rank among the largest facilities of its kind in the world. Dr Kat Jones, writing in The Scotsman, says a developer applied for the 1,000 MW project almost immediately after the September vote, and that it would be bigger than Colossus 2 in Memphis, which she describes as the largest operating facility on Earth. Five further planning applications have since totalled 2,150 MW, joining the 213 MW Edinburgh Gyle proposal, with around 5,000 MW still in pre-planning. NESO, she writes, says the grid queue holds enough capacity to triple Scotland's peak energy demand.

DataVita, Airdrie (operating)12

Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway (planned)1,000

DataVita, Airdrie (operating)

12 MW

Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway (planned)

1000 MW

Data from the article text

Minister and industry responses

Scotland's innovation minister, Alin Smith, compared data centres to the warehouses where whisky matures, an industry she said the Scottish economy cannot do without. She said the debate sometimes takes an odd turn, and that comparing a huge facility in the Utah desert with what could be built in Scotland is not sensible. Kim Pratt of Friends of the Earth argues that the final word on whether data centres may be built should rest with people living in Scotland. Activists opposed to the AI industry and Scottish Greens call for a moratorium on new facilities. According to the BBC, regional authorities had earlier said they were ready to build 26 new data centres, and Scotland leads because it has more wind farms to supply power.

Norwich protest over the Keswick plan

Hundreds of people also protested in Norwich city centre against the proposed Norwich Apex facility at Keswick, just outside the city, which would need 150 MW of energy powered by offshore wind. Protesters fear the project could damage Marston Marsh and other wildlife areas. Planning documents show a building about 20 metres high off the A140 Ipswich Road, with 72 chiller units on its roof. The developer says the plans include more than 15,000 new trees and about a mile of hedgerow, with existing woodland and hedgerows kept and protected. Chief executive Matt Bartram responded to the concerns about wildlife and noise.

“We understand how important Norfolk's natural environment is to local people, and we take concerns about wildlife, trees and noise seriously.”

Bartram added that the design included substantial acoustic screening and that the scheme could create up to 150 permanent jobs. A protester calling himself 'Shivering Beetle' argued that new saplings are not equivalent to mature trees.