Grid Power for Nscale’s Essex AI Center Is Expected in the 2030s

National Grid officials told Nscale that power for its Essex AI data center is expected in the 2030s, after the project’s planned 2027 opening, as the company considers on-site generation and a faster grid connection.

Microsoft’s withdrawal from Nscale’s Loughton AI data center plan ended its planned role as the project’s anchor customer and its plans to fund a supercomputer for the site. Nscale is left without a publicly announced customer for the project.

The U.K. government named the project the country’s largest sovereign AI data center in its 2025 artificial intelligence strategy. The companies plan to continue working together on other international projects, and Microsoft remains involved in a separate Nscale project in Norway.

Backed by Nvidia and other technology companies, Nscale plans to pursue a U.S. listing in 2026 at a possible $35 billion valuation.