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72 MW data centre at Thames Valley Park plans gas fuel cells: 1.8 MW of grid now, full connection not until 2037
A planning application to Wokingham Borough Council proposes a data centre of up to 72 MW IT (about 110 MW peak demand) at Thames Valley Park, Earley, replacing three office buildings, Data Centre Review reported on 5 Oct. Only 1.8 MW of grid capacity is available; a 60 MVA connection from SSEN is secured but the reinforcement is not expected until 2037. Phase one would run on 49.9 MW of natural-gas solid-oxide fuel cells, with operation from 2031. Silicon UK notes the site is that of Microsoft's UK headquarters; the developer is not named.
Why it matters. A concrete GB case of a 2037 grid date forcing on-site gas. It shows grid queues pushing data centres to their own power rather than stopping them.
Our data addsOur GB row: about 73 GW of data-centre demand in contracted connection offers (June 2025). /europe/data-centre-grid-queues →
Sources: Data Centre Review (citing the Wokingham application), 5 October 2026 · Silicon UK, 7 October 2026
Next: Wokingham Borough Council decision (no date)