QTS: Cambois Campus

The QTS/Blackstone data center project in Cambois, Northumberland, has officially transitioned from the planning stages to an active construction site. Following the initial outline permission granted in March 2025, the Northumberland County Council issued final "Reserved Matters" approval for the first phase on December 2, 2025. This critical milestone has green-lit the development of the first two data centers, effectively moving the project beyond conceptual designs and into physical realization.

The project, situated on the 100-hectare site of the former Blyth Power Station, is set to become a massive ten-building campus totaling 5.8 million square feet of internal space. Each of the ten proposed three-story buildings will offer approximately 54,000 square meters of floor area. To support this scale, the facility will include a dedicated on-site substation providing a massive 720MW capacity and will utilize high-efficiency, closed-loop water cooling systems to ensure the campus operates with a minimized environmental footprint.

Site preparation, or "enabling works," officially commenced in October 2025 following a formal groundbreaking ceremony. Current activity on-site, led by contractors such as Rainton Construction, involves extensive site clearance, vegetation removal, and major earthworks to establish the foundations for the initial halls. The project’s progress has been significantly bolstered by its designation as an "AI Growth Zone," a status that helped fast-track essential power connections and planning procedures.

Looking ahead, vertical construction of the first buildings is scheduled to begin in early 2026. If the current timeline holds, the first phase of the campus is expected to be operational by 2029. While this initial stage is the immediate priority, the long-term vision for the site is extensive, with the full ten-building campus slated for final completion by 2035.