DataVita said its North Lanarkshire site near the M8 has been officially designated a UK government AI Growth Zone, aiming to secure £8.2 billion of private investment for the area.
The firm said the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone will aim to deliver up to 3,400 jobs and a £543 million Community Fund for North Lanarkshire.
The UK government said the zone will be developed in partnership with AI cloud firm CoreWeave.
“This represents one of the largest technology investments ever announced in Scotland,” said DataVita.
“The development brings together three connected elements: 500MW of AI-ready data centre capacity, more than 1GW of privately wired renewable energy infrastructure, and purpose-built Innovation Parks aimed at attracting next-generation industries.
“In total, more than 3,400 jobs will be created over the coming years, spanning construction, data centre operations, renewable energy, and AI-related roles …
“DataVita is developing 500MW of hyperscale data centre capacity designed specifically for AI workloads. The facilities will operate using closed-loop cooling systems with near-zero water consumption and are expected to achieve a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15, placing them among the most energy-efficient data centres in the sector …
“More than 1GW of renewable energy capacity, including wind, solar, and battery storage, will be delivered through private wire connections directly linked to the data centres.
“The system will be grid positive, exporting excess clean energy back to the national grid. Power costs are expected to remain below 10p per kWh, with carbon intensity under 5 gCO₂e per kWh, which is 97% lower than the London grid average.”
Danny Quinn, Managing Director of DataVita, said: “Scotland has everything AI needs, the talent, the green energy, and now the infrastructure. But this goes beyond the physical buildings
“We’re creating innovation parks, new energy infrastructure, and attracting inward investment from some of the world’s leading technology companies. This is a massive opportunity for North Lanarkshire & Scotland, and we want to make sure local people share in it.
“The £543 million community fund means the benefits stay here, good jobs, new skills, and investment that actually reaches the people who live and work in this area.”
Ben Richardson, Managing Director of CoreWeave International, said: “The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone marks a meaningful step in moving the UK from AI ambition into AI in production.
“We’re proud to make this £1.5 billion investment with DataVita, delivering a production-grade AI cloud designed to run, scale, and evolve as AI becomes embedded across the economy.
“That long-term approach is what supports economic growth and strengthens the UK’s position in AI.”