UK data center firm Deep Green has secured planning permission for a new project in West Yorkshire.

The company has secured planning approval to build its 5.6MW facility in Bradford. The facility is set to be developed on Listerhills Road, adjacent to the new Thornton Road energy center.

Deep Green filed to develop the facility last year. The site totals 3,420 sqm (36,810 sq ft), with some 1,275 sqm (13,725 sq ft) of floorspace to be developed. The two-story project would see four data halls built.

Mark Lee, Deep Green CEO, said: “Planning approval in Bradford is a major milestone – not just for Deep Green, but for a different kind of digital infrastructure. The UK needs more data centers. That’s a fact. But it does not need more waste. Our model is simple: use the electrons twice. First to power AI and high-performance computing. Then to heat homes and buildings. Bradford is showing what’s possible when digital infrastructure is designed around community benefit from day one.”

The facility will supply its surplus heat directly into the Bradford Energy Network, the district heating network being developed by 1Energy and launching in Autumn 2026. The facility will integrate with the Bradford Energy Network via a closed-loop cooling system.

John Hartley, 1Energy, said: “By capturing and reusing surplus heat from the Deep Green facility, Bradford is showing how cities can combine digital infrastructure with sustainable heat supply in a way that delivers real benefits for local people and businesses.”

Deep Green traditionally locates high-performance computing servers at sites where their heat can be fully used, offering that heat for free to users, including swimming pools. The company has also moved into developing full buildings.

UK utility Octopus Energy is an investor in the firm, which aims to deploy 300MW of distributed capacity across Europe and the US.

The company launched in 2023, deploying hardware at a leisure center in Exmouth, Devon. Deep Green has previously said it was gearing up to deploy 500kW of hardware next door to the York Stadium Leisure Complex in Huntingdon, which would be used to heat the swimming pool.

A 1.1MW facility (DG03) was live in Swindon but is no longer listed on the company’s website.

Deep Green has a 400kW site live in Manchester (DG01), providing heat to Urmston Leisure Centre.

A 20MW project was previously listed on the company’s website as in planning around Lincoln. A 4.9MW project is currently listed as being planned in north London.

UK cloud provider Civo and post-production firm Dirty Looks are known customers of Deep Green.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This investment is a major vote of confidence in Bradford and in our region’s future as an AI powerhouse. Deep Green’s pioneering approach will power our businesses, heat our communities, support the creation of good jobs, and help us meet our net-zero ambitions. As the UK’s youngest city and its leading producer of applied AI postgraduates, Bradford is perfectly placed to harness this opportunity and help us innovate to build a stronger, better off West Yorkshire.”

Despite still saying it plans to expand into the US, Deep Green withdrew plans to develop a facility in Michigan earlier this year after pushback from local officials. The project is still listed on the company’s website.