Drax proposed AI datacentre emissions analysis

The Guardian reported on October 6 that the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates Drax’s proposed North Yorkshire AI datacentre could burn 4.9 million tonnes of wood and produce 8.6 million tonnes of CO2 a year. The campaign group’s calculation assumes the facility runs at a constant rate throughout the year. Drax disputes the analysis, including its treatment of biomass emissions and the proposed power mix. The project has not entered the formal planning process; the reported figures are a contested projection, not measured emissions from an operating datacentre.