Drax datacentre plan could double Gatwick flight emissions via wood burning

Campaign group analysis claims Drax's planned North Yorkshire datacentre would burn 4.9m tonnes of wood annually, producing nearly double the yearly emissions of all Gatwick flights. The claim is based on campaigner estimates, not official data, and hinges on the datacentre's power supply and biomass carbon accounting. If accurate, it would make the facility one of the dirtiest datacentres globally, raising regulatory and reputational risks for Drax and UK energy policy.