Plans revealed for Ravenscraig AI campus

Plans are underway to transform a Scottish brownfield site into an AI energy hub.

Renewable energy developer Apatura has unveiled proposals for a £3.9 billion AI energy campus on the former Ravenscraig steelworks site, which could bring more than 2000 jobs to North Lanarkshire if approved. 

Combining a 550MW data centre with a 650MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), the development would make use of Scotland’s growing renewable energy capacity. 

The proposed facility would house powerful servers to support artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, while an independent socio-economic study estimates the project could add 0.4 per cent to Scotland’s annual GDP, generating £766 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) during construction and £583 million in annual GVA once operational.

Bosses say the plans would help reduce curtailment by storing surplus wind energy and reuse heat from IT operations, potentially supplying the equivalent of over 180,000 homes.

They add that the proposals align with the wider Ravenscraig masterplan, one of Europe’s largest brownfield regeneration schemes, which envisions housing, transport, education and green spaces.

Giles Hanglin, chief executive of Apatura, said: “We are confident in our proposals for Ravenscraig and the huge benefits this data campus would bring to local people, and the wider Scottish economy. 

“The major investment, new jobs and training opportunities that our proposals bring would attract more people to the area and boost opportunities for the community to grow and thrive. 

“If we were selected as an AI Growth Zone it would be a significant endorsement of our ambition to make Scotland a powerhouse of AI-enabled digital infrastructure powered by Scotland’s vast renewable resource, beginning at Ravenscraig and extending across the central belt.”

Russell Wilkie, director at Ravenscraig Limited, added: “Ravenscraig is already transforming into the thriving, self-sufficient community we envisioned. 

“With more than 1000 homes, new park and sports facilities, college and biodiversity improvements already delivered, and further commercial development underway, we are making great progress. 

“The proposal from Apatura represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate that transformation further, unlocking thousands of skilled jobs, driving major inward investment, and positioning Ravenscraig at the heart of Scotland’s green and digital economy.”

Public consultation so far has shown strong support, with 75 per cent of attendees backing the plans at the first event. 

Apatura aims to submit the proposals to North Lanarkshire Council by the end of 2025. 

If approved, site remediation and construction could start in 2026, with the Campus complete and fully operational by 2029. 

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