Data centers · Oct 20, 2026, 10:13
Microsoft Drops 50 MW Nscale Site as UK Grid Slips to 2030s
Microsoft dropped Nscale's 50 MW Loughton AI campus after the grid operator signaled power would not arrive until the 2030s. The wires were the bottleneck.
A finished hall waits on a grid connection.
Illustration (AI-generated)
Loughton, Essex, Oct. 19 — Microsoft has ended its agreement to anchor Nscale's planned AI data center in Loughton, Essex, after the site's expected grid connection slipped into the 2030s. Microsoft confirmed on Monday that the decision covers one site only. Nscale says its other Microsoft contracts are unaffected.
The campus was the UK showcase of Nscale's Microsoft deal. It was meant to give Azure 50 MW of AI capacity in Britain, with room to grow to 90 MW. Microsoft was the only publicly named customer.
The Technical Details
UK Power Networks, the distribution network operator, a utility that runs the local lower-voltage grid, reportedly told Nscale that enough electricity would not be available until the early to mid-2030s. The operator would not discuss the project, but said many data centers wait on upgrades to the national transmission network, the high-voltage backbone, before they can run.
Nscale says it is studying on-site generation and faster connection options, and is looking at other UK sites. The former scaffolding yard chosen for the build has already been cleared.
- Planned AI capacity: 50 MW, scalable to 90 MW
Sources
- Microsoft drops Nscale’s Loughton AI data center over interconnection delay · Google News · grid
