Xlinks Proposes Massive AI Data Campus in North Devon

British company Xlinks has proposed the construction of a 1.5GW AI data campus and a 1.8GW battery energy storage system in north Devon, England. The project would occupy 344 hectares of land within a UNESCO biosphere reserve near Great Torrington. Xlinks claims the development will create between 600 and 1,200 jobs, improve biodiversity, and remain water self-sufficient.

The proposal has faced intense local backlash. The Devon Datacentre and BESS action group alleges that Xlinks and Torridge District Council held secret discussions and issued in-principle support before the project was publicized. Opponents raise concerns over fire risks, environmental destruction, and water consumption, which could reach 2.9 billion litres annually during droughts.

In response to the controversy, Devon County Council launched a petition signed by 30,000 people calling for a national pause on such projects outside designated AI growth zones. Cabinet member Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin argued that proposals outside these zones may seek to evade government scrutiny and called for an urgent national conversation on the scale and placement of AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero continues to oversee the strategic spatial energy plan for battery storage facilities to protect against energy shocks.