Research from the Centre for Net Zero claims green energy microgrids could be a more cost-efficient alternative to nuclear small modular reactors when it comes to powering the UK’s datacentres
Research from the Centre for Net Zero claims green energy microgrids could be a more cost-efficient alternative to nuclear small modular reactors when it comes to powering the UK’s datacentres
The government should consider expanding the availability of renewable microgrids as a cheaper and faster alternative to building nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet the energy needs of datacentres, according to the Centre for Net Zero (CNZ).
The government is championing the use of nuclear small modular reactors (SMRs) as a possible answer to shoring up the nation’s energy supplies, as part of its push to get UK energy grids running on clean energy by 2030.
However, the CNZ, which is a research institute focused on predicting future energy demands, said its analysis shows that expanding the number of renewable microgrids across the UK could offer a faster and more cost-effective way of meeting the growing energy needs of the nation’s burgeoning number of datacentres.
“The UK is currently host to 523 datacentres, the third-highest of any nation globally, with at least nine more in development. The country is currently deciding how to power its datacentres of the future – and at what speed,” said the CNZ. “As the UK seeks to grow its AI sector in the context of the Clean Power 2030 target, CNZ’s research indicates that renewable microgrids could meet the majority of a large datacentre’s electricity needs.”
Microgrids typically generate electricity with the help of renewable sources, which is then stored in battery packs until it is needed, and are operated independently of main electricity grids. They can be used to power single buildings, or blocks of them can be knitted together to supply power to large-scale developments.
“The UK needs to build five times more transmission infrastructure in the next five years than was built in the last three decades, which will be a lengthy and expensive process,” said the CNZ.
