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Drax Datacenter: Wood Burned = Gatwick Flights Emissions
6 Oct
Summary
- Datacenter could burn 4.9m tonnes of wood annually.
- Annual emissions may double Gatwick airport's flight emissions.
- Critics call burning trees for servers indefensible.
A proposed datacentre by Drax in North Yorkshire has sparked environmental concerns. Analysis indicates the facility could burn 4.9 million tonnes of wood annually to meet its energy demands.
This significant wood consumption could lead to annual CO2 emissions of 8.6 million tonnes. This figure is nearly double the total emissions from all flights departing Gatwick airport in 2024. Campaigners argue this makes it potentially "one of the dirtiest datacentres out there."
Environmental groups criticize the plan, stating that burning millions of trees to power server farms is "indefensible." Scientists also contest the notion that biomass energy is clean, with some research suggesting systems could take 150 years to become carbon negative.
Drax, however, defends its plans, suggesting the datacentre could support economic growth and government ambitions. They state the analysis from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) contains inaccuracies and is based on a campaign against biomass.
