Say NO to the 1 GW data centre planned for Chapelcross

PLEASE NOTE THAT SIGNING THE PETITION DOES NOT LODGE AN OBJECTION. TO LODGE AN OBJECTION YOU MUST SUBMIT VIA THE COUNCIL'S PLANNING PORTAL.

 

This massive development would be among the largest in Britain, with the data centre alone taking up the equivalent of ~22 football pitches. Now is the time to stand up against the moneyed interests who are looking to put more money into their own pockets at our expense and at the expense of generations to come.

Why we're saying no:

Energy:

• The data centre would require 7,008,000 MWh of energy per year (equivalent to the energy used by 2,231,847 households)
• Dumfries and Galloway produces 2,940,395 MWh of renewable energy per year, half as much energy as the data centre would use
• Potential strain on the energy grid could see household electricity bills skyrocket.
  • According to an article in the Guardian, "The centres...increased household bills by a cumulative average of €360 between 2015 and 2023, said the report commissioned by Friends of the Earth Ireland and Beyond Fossil Fuels. It argued that Irish households have been subsidising big tech via a “hidden data centre tax” on their electricity bills."

Noise:

• The data centre campus would produce high levels of low-frequency noise which can affect the health and well-being of both humans and animals.
• Low-frequency noise can travel for miles and can be felt even when it is not heard.
• Noise has not been properly assessed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as it has only measured via dBA and ignored the more appropriate dbC and dbG measurements, which account for low-frequency noise and infrasound. 

Environmental Concerns:

• The data centre would utilise over 300 backup generators which would run on HVO (bio-diesel) and/or diesel, producing significant amounts of air pollution.
• The site of the planned development includes fields of green grass where farmers graze their sheep and other animals.
• It is not just the site of the former nuclear powerplant which will be used. 
• Beautiful countryside views will be obstructed and destroyed by the massive data centre and associated operations.
• Ancient and native woodland surrounds the site, and there is an abundance of local flora and fauna which would be negatively affected by this development.

Unanswered Questions:

• Cooling techniques planned for the centre have been left vague, only described as "closed-loop". Closed-loop cooling systems use far less water than open-loop systems, but demand more energy and use toxic chemicals which  could present a risk to public health. 
• The amount of jobs the development would supply is uncertain. According to a report by Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS), most data centres in operation only have 20-50 direct employees once operational.

Please sign this petition, share with friends and family, and join us in saying NO to Chapelcross AI Data Centre.

Join the fight:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1015424481301998/

Whatapp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GUgRzo3LU7YJvkeJG1APgr?s=em&p=a&mlu=4

Lodge an objection:

https://aprs.scot/chapelcross-data-centre/#objections