DataVita has moved to clarify the operating power arrangements for its proposed Lanarkshire AI data centres, confirming that the computing facilities will be supplied through the public electricity grid rather than relying on any individual generating asset. The Scottish developer's updated project information draws a clearer line between the grid-dependent computing proposal and the broader renewable generation ambitions that were previously presented alongside it, a distinction that matters as large-scale AI infrastructure projects face growing scrutiny over how their energy claims are structured and verified.
The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone in North Lanarkshire is associated with more than £8.2bn of proposed investment and up to 500MW of data centre capacity. When the development was first presented earlier in 2026, its energy strategy described more than 1GW of proposed wind and solar generation supported by battery storage, with direct private-wire connections intended to supply the computing facilities. That initial framing suggested renewable generation would feed the campus directly, reducing dependence on the conventional network while potentially allowing surplus power to be exported.
The revised November project information describes a different immediate arrangement. The data centres are designed to be grid supplied, while nearby renewable generation proposals will be developed separately and could supply the facilities directly at a later stage. The layout and generating capacity of those energy projects remain subject to their own development work, environmental assessments, consultation and planning applications. DataVita maintains that its commitment to renewable electricity is unchanged. In comments reported by The Guardian, the developer said it intended to obtain renewable electricity through a power purchase agreement while the data centres remained connected to the grid.
The company's clarification carries important technical implications for how the project's energy credentials should be understood. A power purchase agreement is a commercial arrangement governing electricity procurement and, depending on its structure, may support renewable generation while the customer continues receiving electricity through the transmission and distribution system. A private-wire connection is different, providing a dedicated physical link between a generating installation and a consumer. The existence of a proposed renewable procurement arrangement should not be confused with a completed direct electrical connection or a verified hourly match between renewable generation and computing demand. A renewable power purchase agreement does not, by itself, demonstrate that electricity consumed at every moment has zero operational emissions, since operational carbon performance will depend on actual consumption, the generation mix supplying the network and the accounting method used.
The clarification establishes that completion of the proposed renewable projects is not a prerequisite for the data centres to receive electricity, though it does not eliminate the need to secure sufficient grid capacity. Large computing facilities require reliable supplies, supporting substations and distribution infrastructure capable of accommodating operating demand, and DataVita says connections are planned and managed through the conventional network process. The company's public information does not establish that every connection required for the full 500MW development has been energised. Earlier planning material associated with the proposed DV4 facility had already identified grid supply as the basis for the development, with a potential private-wire connection remaining an additional possibility, so the November update does not necessarily mean the underlying DV4 application has been redesigned.
DataVita is also advancing other facilities within its regional programme. In August, the company secured a debt facility of approximately £300m to expand DV1 and fund construction of DV3, supported by a £202m National Wealth Fund guarantee covering part of the lending arranged by a group of banks. The capacity of DV1 and DV3 has been contracted to AI infrastructure provider CoreWeave through 15-year lease arrangements, commitments that relate to specific developments rather than the entire proposed AI Growth Zone. DataVita has additionally outlined community benefits of up to £543m over 15 years, with the larger funding commitments depending on data centre capacity becoming operational and generating revenue. The developer argues that Scotland's electricity system offers advantages through its relatively low-carbon generation mix and says the facilities will not use gas generation on site. Several infrastructure milestones remain to be assessed separately, including completion of grid connections, development of the data centres, renewable electricity procurement and any future direct connections to generating assets, with renewable energy still positioned as a central part of DataVita's longer-term strategy.