Microsoft pulls out of Nscale's Loughton AI datacentre project
Microsoft told Nscale it will not proceed with the planned AI datacentre in Loughton, Essex. The company said power‑supply problems at the site remain unresolved. The project was promoted as the UK’s biggest sovereign AI hub and was to host Microsoft and Anthropic as anchor tenants, accounting for about 85% of Nscale’s contracts. Nscale’s flagship Norwegian centre is already behind schedule, operating at 6.4 MW of the intended 30 MW capacity. The loss of Microsoft jeopardises Nscale’s planned IPO and raises concerns about grid capacity for large AI datacentres.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 5h later
- The two sides describe this in almost entirely different words
- Centrist coverage is the most divided on this story
Why it matters
The pull‑out threatens the UK’s AI infrastructure ambitions and investor confidence in AI‑focused listings.
How this story developed
- Oct 18 Microsoft withdraws from Nscale's UK data centre project amid power delays
- Oct 19 Microsoft announced it will not honor the agreement as anchor tenant.
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