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The council will now be working with Sustainable Development Capital LLP – chosen as preferred supplier for the project – to determine the feasibility of the joint venture. The proposed development is seen as an opportunity to put Cockenzie at the forefront of the “new industrial revolution” while creating local training and job opportunities and long-term financial benefit for the council. Hyperscale data involves computing systems designed for extreme scalability in order to handle massive amounts of data and user demand, primarily for cloud computing and big data applications. The centre would be located on part of the coal store site, leaving the wider site – including the footprint of the former power station – available for other future developments. Before any development could take place, the plans would need to be assessed fully through the normal planning application process and members of the public given the opportunity to comment on the proposal. It is estimated that it will take up to a year to finalise legal agreements before getting to the statutory public consultation stage. But the council says it is keen to engage with the community on this project as early as possible, with next steps to be confirmed in the coming months. Councillor John McMillan, spokesperson for economic development, said: “While this process is still at an initial stage, it marks an important step forward in the potential redevelopment of part of this key site. “In addition to capital investment, construction and permanent employment, there are potential opportunities to secure long-term community benefits such as support for education and training programmes in partnership with local providers. “We will be working closely with SDCL and other partners to ensure any development maximises benefits to our communities.” The council agreed to embark on a competitive tender process to identify a preferred supplier for the project after receiving a large number of enquiries from operators interested in siting a data centre at Cockenzie. SDCL was selected following a private report to a meeting of the council in February. Jonathan Maxwell, founder and CEO of London-based SDCL, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as partner for this landmark project. Cockenzie has an extraordinary history in Scotland’s energy and industrial heritage and this stands as a phenomenal opportunity for it to take a leading role in the new industrial revolution. “We are looking forward to working closely with the community in East Lothian to help the project achieve its full potential. “SDCL was established in 2007 and has a proven track record in financing and developing clean energy, energy efficiency, and decentralised energy infrastructure projects in the UK, Europe, North America. and Asia.” Before you go, why not sign up to our free daily newsletter to get all of the latest news from Edinburgh and the Lothians.
