The National Grid is building its largest electrical substation to meet the increasing demand for datacentres in West London. This facility will be located in Buckinghamshire, just outside Greater London, and will connect around twelve new datacentres to the electricity network.
Dubbed Uxbridge Moor, this substation sits next to a full-capacity 400kV substation in Iver, which can’t be expanded. It will include two substations: one with a 400kV capacity and another with 132kV. The demand from datacentres at Uxbridge Moor is estimated to need roughly 1.8GW of new capacity—enough to power a mid-sized city on London’s outskirts. Once complete, it will be the largest new substation by gigawatt capacity on the National Grid’s network.
This project is part of a five-year, £35 billion investment by the National Grid aimed at boosting the UK’s electricity generation capacity and streamlining connections for datacentres and gigafactories. Recently, the area has seen a surge of datacentres, raising concerns about whether the electricity supply can meet the demand.
In 2022, a report from the Greater London Authority highlighted struggles within the electrical and transmission networks in West London due to this influx. Energy minister Michael Shanks emphasized the importance of such projects for the government’s plans to lower barriers for datacentre developments in the UK. He noted that upgrades to the electricity network are crucial for building future industries and supporting economic growth across the country.
Laura Mulcahy, project director at National Grid Electricity Transmission, stated that Uxbridge Moor will provide essential power access for datacentres, driving job creation and investment in Buckinghamshire while supporting the digital future of the UK.