Orcadian Energy (AIM: ORCA) is proposing an offshore gas-to-wire AI data centre in the North Sea, about 65 miles from Great Yarmouth. The plan involves building platforms over the Earlham gas field to generate 200MW of electricity directly for a co-located data centre, bypassing the UK grid. Carbon dioxide from burning the gas would be captured and stored beneath the seabed, which the company says could make the project a low-carbon option for meeting rising compute demand from AI. The project would not need a gas pipeline to shore or a grid connection. Instead, data would be transmitted back via cables. Orcadian says locating data centres offshore avoids local planning opposition and uses seawater for cooling. The company hopes to attract interest from hyperscalers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. The initial 200MW phase could expand to up to one gigawatt of capacity. The concept is still early and needs regulatory approvals, commercial agreements, and financing. It raises questions about the actual emissions profile of gas with CCS and the economics of offshore data centres versus onshore renewables. The article is worth reading for anyone tracking how the AI boom is reshaping energy demand and fossil fuel infrastructure proposals.
