Drax is selling grid access as much as it is selling AI capacity

Brookfield and Qatar’s QIA are putting £2.5 billion behind the first phase of a data centre at Drax’s North Yorkshire site, with 100MW targeted from early 2028. Drax says the estate has 4GW of grid access, a scarce asset when UK data-centre projects queue for power connections. The headline ambition exceeds £20 billion and reaches gigawatt scale, but that is not committed capital: planning, customer contracts and later investment decisions remain outstanding. The first phase is planned to draw from the grid, with Drax generation expected to supply later expansion under a power-purchase agreement.