The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has committed £1 million to develop a masterplan for Pioneer Park, a clean power and technology cluster on land next to Sellafield. Local developer BEC will map options to integrate new generation, storage and AI‑ready data centre infrastructure while respecting Sellafield’s operational needs, under the Cumberland Nuclear Futures Board.

This builds on government moves in June to free up Moorside land-now branded Pioneer Park-for clean energy, with Small Modular Reactors among the options under consideration. BEC was commissioned in August to run targeted market engagement ahead of the masterplan, with Cumberland Council and the NDA aiming to steer investment towards long‑term jobs and regional resilience.

Why it matters for climate: Britain’s electricity was cleaner than ever in 2024, averaging around 124 gCO2/kWh, and the system operator’s pathways suggest carbon intensity needs to fall towards 50 gCO2/kWh by 2030. Meeting that goal requires more clean, dependable power and flexible demand-precisely the mix Pioneer Park is exploring.

Digital demand is rising fast. The International Energy Agency expects global electricity use by data centres to more than double to roughly 945 TWh by 2030, driven by AI. In Great Britain today, NESO estimates around 7.6 TWh of demand from about 2.4 GW of connected facilities, with substantial growth expected as AI workloads spread beyond London. Policymakers are responding. Ofgem and the system operator are shifting grid connections to a ‘first ready, first connected’ model to prioritise viable projects, while ministers’ AI Energy Council is working on siting and power strategies for digital infrastructure. Pioneer Park’s early planning phase aligns with that direction of travel.

Siting matters. West Cumbria has nuclear skills, industrial land and proximity to high‑voltage infrastructure. National Grid previously developed, then halted, the North West Coast Connections scheme intended for a Moorside plant-work that, while shelved in 2018, shows the area has been assessed for large‑scale connections.

To work for climate and the local grid, the masterplan will need a package: clean firm generation such as SMRs alongside renewables, grid‑scale and on‑site storage, and load‑shifting from data halls so computing runs hardest when clean power is plentiful. The government’s Clean Flexibility Roadmap points to 51–66 GW of flexibility by 2030; a project like this can contribute meaningfully if designed with that in mind.

There’s a clear community lens too. The NDA invests about £15 million each year in socio‑economic projects near its sites, aiming for durable benefits as decommissioning progresses-a context for skills, apprenticeships and local supply chains tied to Pioneer Park. Delivery capacity already exists in the area: BEC is jointly owned by the NDA and Cumberland Council, and Sellafield’s RAICo robotics hub in Whitehaven shows how nuclear expertise can spur broader tech activity. A coherent plan can link clean power, digital jobs and R&D rather than treating them as separate bets.

Done right, pairing compute with dedicated low‑carbon supply avoids avoidable emissions. As a sense‑check, 1 TWh met by today’s average GB grid would emit roughly 0.12 MtCO2; clean on‑site or contracted generation can drive that towards zero while providing firm, predictable demand that helps financiers back new assets.

What to watch next: BEC says the Pioneer Park masterplan is due this year, setting out phasing, grid options, water and heat strategies, and community outcomes. In parallel, the AI Energy Council’s work on connections and siting should clarify how strategic digital loads are prioritised on the network.

If Pioneer Park hard‑codes high standards-additional clean generation, 24/7 carbon‑matching for data halls, heat reuse, strong water stewardship and transparent reporting-it can prove that repurposed nuclear land can host digital infrastructure that cuts emissions, strengthens the grid and pays back locally. That is a practical model others can follow.