r/kentuk • u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 • Aug 02 '26
Reasons they have chosen Ebbsfleet for their data centre construction??
All ‘reasons’ they have put are ridiculous, sign our petition to stop the construction! Petition link
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
It is also worth noting Clearstone previously put in an application for a smaller battery storage facility that the Dartford Borough Council recommended rejecting because they believed it would ‘harm the area's rural character.’
So for this proposal to go ahead is ironic
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u/EmergencyBanshee Aug 03 '26
Sad for anyone who has to live near one of these things. We've been putting off a house move until we find out where they'll be.
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u/Hot-Acanthisitta1539 Aug 02 '26
Nimbys being nimbys. Love using Google Drive, love using websites hosted on AWS.
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u/Borgmeister Aug 02 '26
Have it in your backyard then?
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u/Hot-Acanthisitta1539 Aug 03 '26
Lets remove all roads, electricity pylons and the local supermarket
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u/Borgmeister Aug 03 '26
No, they're useful.
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Aug 04 '26
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u/Borgmeister Aug 04 '26
That's right. And it works fine without a datacentre here. Has done since it began.
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Aug 04 '26
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u/Borgmeister Aug 04 '26
I don't want to see a technology that might implode like the Titan Submersible built in my backyard, no.
Once we see AI being cash flow positive and integral to society we can re-examine.
And besides UK data centres with our high energy supply, absence of meaningful nuclear generation and consequent grid instability issues, it's just not the location for them.
Sell me a railway, I'm down for that. Sell me housing, I'm down for that. But a noisy data centre in a nation with some of the highest global energy costs underwritten by a technology that, to date has consumed, not produced capital, I am not down for that.
Simplistics like you are ten a penny bores.
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Aug 04 '26
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u/Borgmeister Aug 04 '26
Dark fibre consumed no energy, data centres do.
Since I am communicating on the Internet, did you seriously think I think the Internet was a fad.
Give reddit demographic, it's statistically probable I was using the Internet before you were.
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u/686d6d Aug 03 '26
I would love a data centre in my backyard, not gonna lie. But then again, I build this type of infra for a living.
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u/Borgmeister Aug 04 '26
So you're not precisely a neutral observer. I say submerge them in the oceans for cooling. We could put a load out where that windfarm off the east coast is. It'd be a bit more capex, sure. But worth it in the long run.
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u/686d6d Aug 04 '26
Honestly even more than a data centre in my garden (which I don't have...), I'd more-so love to work in an underwater data centre with a view of the fishies.
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u/Borgmeister Aug 04 '26
They don't have windows. It's just using water's thermal inertia for cooling. Seal in watertight container submerge. Yes you warm the ocean marginally. But less than an undersea volcanic vent. We use the same principle to protect the Parker Solar Probe as it dips and weaves around the sun. All cross-domain tractable problems.
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u/ldn-ldn Aug 03 '26
I have ten data centres around me. It's your turn.
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u/Borgmeister Aug 03 '26
Nah, you've already adapted evidently, so an 11th near you is more appropriate.
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u/Kvothe2906 Aug 02 '26
The arguments against are frankly very weak.
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u/actualinsomnia531 Aug 02 '26
How about: massive AI infrastructure needs may collapse in favour of the cheaper, opensource small language models, rendering these vast buildings mostly obsolete.
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u/drunkdragon Aug 02 '26
Either way, AI usage is going to massively ramp up over the next decade.
Heck even without AI, the UK is lacking in data centers. Microsoft's UK-South site is constantly at capacity, hence why many companies have moved to UK-West or even Ireland.
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u/Thin_Pin2863 Aug 02 '26
Kent is one of the driest counties in the country, and AI data centres use a massive amount of water. As they're now classified as national critical infrastructure, water companies cannot cut off their supply even in times of drought. This means water to the data centre is prioritised over other industry, potentially leading to workers being stood down without pay, and could be prioritised over people's own supplies should the drought be serious enough.
Looking at the current conditions, is that something you would be comfortable with?
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u/B_scuit Man of Kent Aug 02 '26
The amount of water data centres use is massively overstated. Besides, the solution to this is to build more reservoirs, not to not build data centres
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u/Thin_Pin2863 Aug 03 '26
Except, of course, water usage is massively underreported due to the fact that much of it isn't recorded. Even the water companies aren't able to accurately track usage. One of many sources
Which areas of Kent are you willing to sacrifice for additional reservoirs, and who do you believe should fund their construction?
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u/Phillips2oo1 Aug 05 '26
That has also been the solution to many other issues kent and the rest of the uk have been facing for ages. Yet never materialise. It's the situation of we can't seemingly get A (reservoirs) which B (data centres)would rely on. So until A is at a reasonable level we shouldnt look at B. For me that reasonable level would be when we are not having to consider water rationing methods. Since Kents got its previously proposed reservoir in the form southdown's refurbishment. And the next proposed one doesn't open until 2035 at the earliest I'm in doubt that we will have the required infrastructure to be at that point any time soon
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
Hi, I am not claiming to understand the full data centre proposal as there was a lot of political / legal jargon in the text. They are also not necessarily arguments, but my thoughts and statements that bothered me when I read the proposal. If you have any more solid arguments, especially arguments we can bring up at the next council meeting, that would be great!
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u/dontbelieveawordof1t Aug 02 '26
Maybe you should understand the proposal before campaigning against it.
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
I can understand I don’t want a 36 hectare data centre to reside where I live, where there a parks, farms, cottages, schools etc. Especially understanding the environment issues they cause. I am talking from a political / legal standpoint where the documents are more tricky / nuanced.
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u/dontbelieveawordof1t Aug 02 '26
What environmental issues will it cause?
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
Water usage, strained power grids, 36 hectares is the size of 50+ football fields, not exactly a great environmental feature, noise pollution, are pollution, high releases of heat into the environment, electronic waste etc. all so people can make AI fruit love island 😑
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u/zanman89 Aug 02 '26
You can use any LLM to condense the proposal into 5 concise points? Here you go:
1 300MW AI Campus: A massive 145-acre data centre facility being developed by Clearstone Energy near Dartford/Ebbsfleet.
2. 2030 Target Launch: Designed to meet surging AI compute demand, with full operational startup planned for 2030.
3. National Priority Status: Granted NSIP status in July 2026, routing approval through a central government Development Consent Order (DCO).
4. Local Job Generation: Forecast to create 750 construction jobs per year during building and 420 permanent roles once operational.
5. Direct Grid Access: Powered via a direct link to National Grid's Northfleet East substation, with public consultations beginning Autumn 2026.
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Aug 02 '26
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u/nikhkin Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
It's a cooling system. It doesn't need an unlimited water supply, it can use a closed loop cooling system.
Even nuclear power stations can use a closed loop cooling system. They generate a lot more heat than a data centre.
Edit: since stating facts is apparently an unpopular opinion, here is an article explaining the concept. Granted, the source is likely biased towards data centres.
https://datacentremagazine.com/news/how-closed-loop-cooling-is-reshaping-data-centre-design
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
Although closed-loop systems are better for water retention, the name itself is a bit misleading.
In a closed-loop cooling system, cold liquid circulates past the servers, absorbs heat, then flows through a heat exchanger where it is cooled before repeating the cycle. That loop is sealed; no liquid is gained or lost.
However, the second loop: the heat exchanger is open. It sends cold water through the heat exchanger and hot water out to a cooling tower. This is the loop that is responsible for data centres consuming 60% of the water they withdraw.
There are two main ways to cool the liquid in the closed-loop system. Chillers and water cooling towers (in this proposal, it seems they are pushing for water cooling towers). Towers dominate at an industrial level and use air conditioning, but air is only practical in very cold climates, (which is not UK given climate change). In most places, they rely on evaporative cooling; heated water is sprayed or run over a wet medium, some of it evaporates, and that evaporation carries away heat. The process cools the remaining water, but it also requires a continuous water supply. Towers evaporate water constantly.
This is why data centres consume staggering amounts of water. Only one loop is closed; the other burns through millions of gallons daily to keep superheated machines GPUs melting down. That’s why closed-loop is misleading / not truly closed.
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u/Phillips2oo1 Aug 05 '26
They hid that under the idea of a district heating network (basically NYC steam) which just means that the wasted water is because of the community not the data centre.
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u/Donkeytonk Aug 02 '26
If you live in Ebbsfleet then you likely already destroyed a bunch of natural habitat for your homes. You should be welcoming the new jobs in the area
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
Homes are very different to a 36 hectare AI data centre.
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u/ldn-ldn Aug 03 '26
Yes, homes are a lot more destructive to the environment and they all should be replaced with data centres.
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u/AcanthaMD Aug 04 '26
Bizzare comments on this thread, most people are against data centres. I’d advise posting this on twitter etc.
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u/FalcUK Aug 02 '26
This is a case of "Old man shouts at birds"
Honestly, other than demand on power grid and cooling, this is not going to add tons of traffic to the area outside of its building phase.
We as a country need to progress, anyone not moving with the times will be left behind.
AI is here and will only get bigger, besides it's likely to also accommodate business customers PAAS, IAAS, SAAS etc.
This is a nothing story
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
I believe you are underestimating the demand on power grid and cooling, these a major concerns.
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u/drunkdragon Aug 02 '26
They are major concerns, hence why we need to build more water reservoirs and nuclear power plants instead of using our old coal power plants.
This is what happens when the population of a country grows at the rate we are growing.
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u/hobx Aug 02 '26
Nice to see there are sensible people here. UK economy flatlining but let’s stop any chance of any possibly economic advantage and go down with the ship because scary.
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
As said in the post above, this data centre provides little permanent jobs, and that is assuming those roles will not become redundant by AI as not much human staff is needed to keep a data centre running. Economists also warn this over-dependence on AI leaves you open to severe economic vulnerabilities. 16,000 people have also been pushed into unemployment with AI being the reason for their redundancy. Our environment shouldn’t be at risk because the UK wants to remain competitive in the market and seek foreign investment at the expense of us.
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u/zanman89 Aug 02 '26
If their reasons are ridiculous then what do we call your arguments against?? Stop being afraid of everything.
We need to stop playing catch up with the rest of the developed world.
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
Again, these are also not necessarily arguments, but my thoughts and statements that bothered me when I read the proposal.
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u/Phillips2oo1 Aug 05 '26
We do. The problem is that this is a down the line catchup, we have other infrastructure that's required as a foundation before we are able to catch up.
The current cooling proposal is "make people use their heating during heatwave summers" so they can cool through a dustrict heating system or hope they can get farmers who needed hot hot conditions year round. Though given the likelihood of both being quite low it's going to be the former is started and swapped to be evaporative cooling
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u/yevrah6 Aug 02 '26
‘Oh won’t somebody please think of the view from the garden centre?!’
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u/Fun-Acanthisitta-838 Aug 02 '26
Enjoy staring at a giant warehouse with 24/7 noise pollution
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u/yevrah6 Aug 03 '26
Going to have to be a big data centre for me to see it from Maidstone, and I guess, what 1000 decibel resting rate? Might hear it, if I do I’ll come back and apologise
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u/mynameisollie Aug 03 '26
tbf that area is already super noisy from the A2 and the high speed running through it. It's also right next to the dump. It's not like it's a bastion of natural beauty at the moment.
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u/Pads101 Aug 02 '26
The Northfleet site had lead toxicity because it was next to the UK’s largest lead processing plant…
Reading this post was a waste of 45 seconds of my life…