Microsoft quit Nscale's UK data centre. Power may not arrive until the 2030s.
Microsoft has ended its agreement to be the main customer of Nscale's planned AI data centre in Loughton, Essex, The Telegraph reported on Sunday.
The site was due to open in 2027. Grid officials said it might not get enough electricity until the early to mid-2030s, The Register reported.
The plan was 23,040 Nvidia AI chips in a 50-megawatt building, with room to grow to 90 megawatts.
Nscale has applied to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Microsoft and the AI company Anthropic account for about 85% of its contract value, SiliconANGLE reported, citing the filing. The filing lists Microsoft agreements worth up to $43.8 billion.
Nscale said its relationship with Microsoft "remains strong and long-term". It called the problem an "unfortunate London-wide grid issue" with "no impact on our other contracts". Microsoft did not respond to The Register's request for comment.
Requests for new grid connections in Britain rose from 41GW to 125GW in less than a year, with data centres asking for at least 80GW, The Register reported.
Sources
Our file on Microsoft
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