Scottish Cities Alliance

Scotland stands on the brink of a digital revolution driven by the rapid rise in the use of AI.

At the heart of this transformation are Green Data Centres, poised to become critical enablers of AI and the associated economic growth for Scotland’s cities, with the potential to attract significant inward investment and deliver long-term benefits for our urban areas.

Green Data Centres – The Economic Potential
Addressing the demands for the technology & infrastructure required to power the future, Green Data Centres represent an exciting growth opportunity, with the EMEA market currently experiencing a 21% year-on-year increase according to JLL’s latest EMEA Data Centre Report Q2 2024.

Within Europe, JLL estimates that there is 1.7GW in development and 2.5GW in planning across core and secondary markets, with developers actively looking at Scotland as an area of high potential due to a number of unique advantages.

Scotland’s Competitive Edge

Renewable Energy & Climate: Data centres require large amounts of energy to run efficiently and maximise the benefits on offer. Scotland’s abundant wind and hydroelectric power make it well placed within the UK to address these demands, with wind capacity alone standing at more than 11GW, roughly 39% of the UK total. Scotland’s relatively colder climate also helps reduce requirements for energy use in the cooling technology and power required to run data centres.

Available Land and Brownfield Sites: Cities like Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow offer ample brownfield space for data centre development, at significantly lower cost than other major UK cities, that can be repurposed to revitalise urban areas. One such example includes Brightsolid’s development in Aberdeen, one of the most energy efficient data centres in the country, designed specifically to serve the energy sector as one of the most data intensive industries.

Supportive Policy Environment: The Scottish Government’s proactive approach to infrastructure development and urban regeneration creates a favorable climate for investment. Policies that promote renewable energy and sustainable practices further enhance Scotland’s appeal to data centre developers. At the UK level, the announcement made by Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle in Sept 2024 that data centres are now classified as critical digital infrastructure in the UK has brought welcome stability and certainty to the industry.

Success in Scotland
Scotland is already making strides in Green Data Centre development. In 2024, Scots-founded DataVita, located on the outskirts of Glasgow, delivered its best-ever set of financial results with total sales reaching £13.3m and EBITDA value rising 87% to £2.6m. As a measure of demand, DataVita intends to expand its capacity to reach 500MW in central Scotland over the next five years.

In Edinburgh, Pulsant’s South Gyle data centre is the largest and most connected data centre in Scotland, earning the region a reputation as an aspiring ‘data centre capital’ of Europe.

iomart, founded in Glasgow, now operates a 768m² facility created specifically for large-scale server hosting and colocation. Leading the way for more than 25 years, iomart has grown to a team of over 500 skilled professionals with offices and locations in London, Manchester and the US, headquarted from Glasgow, bringing exciting, highly-skilled employment opportunities in the city.

The Vision
Green Data Centres are more than just a technological necessity. They are catalysts for economic growth and are set to be integral to the fabric of our future cities.

By harnessing the power of renewable energy, utilising available land effectively, and fostering a supportive policy environment, Scotland’s cities are uniquely placed to lead the sector, attract investment, create high-value jobs and remain at the forefront of the digital revolution.