Blackstone has received approval from Northumberland County Council to move forward with its $13bn hyperscale data centre project in North East England. 

The investment marks a major push by the private equity giant into the fast-expanding digital infrastructure sector, as demand for data storage and cloud computing surges.

The project, covering 540,000 square metres, represents one of the largest data centre developments in Europe. It is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the region, creating 1,200 long-term construction jobs, hundreds of permanent operational roles, and up to 2,700 indirect positions.

As part of its commitment to the local economy, Blackstone has pledged £110m to support job creation and economic growth along the Northumberland Line, a newly launched railway corridor. Find out more and meet Blackstone at the Italy Private Equity Conference in Milan.

The move aligns with growing global demand for data centre capacity, driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital transformation. A recent CBRE report highlights that Europe is on track for record data centre expansion in 2025, with supply struggling to keep pace with demand.

Blackstone’s new facility will cater to enterprise clients requiring high-performance computing capabilities, reinforcing the firm’s position in the digital infrastructure space. The Northumberland site was previously designated for Britishvolt, a UK-based battery manufacturing startup that collapsed in 2023. Blackstone’s data centre proposal, introduced in 2024, represents a strategic shift toward technology-driven assets.

This latest move underscores private equity’s increasing focus on critical digital infrastructure, positioning Blackstone as a key player in the evolving landscape of hyperscale data centres.