Carbon3.ai, the UK’s leading government-owned AI infrastructure company, has announced a £1 billion investment to build the country’s first nationwide network of fully sovereign, sustainable AI-enabled data centers – a move expected to reshape the UK’s digital resilience, national security and long-term artificial intelligence competitiveness.
The ambitious program will transform old industrial and energy sites into a network of high-performance, low-carbon data centers, all designed, operated and operated exclusively in the UK. This ensures that every component – from physical locations to data processing – is subject to full UK jurisdiction and regulatory oversight. Carbon3.ai has already completed a successful proof of concept and is preparing for full deployment. The first 5MW site in the East Midlands will open in March 2026. Planning permission has also been submitted for a second facility in Derbyshire.
To support the next phase of its growth, Carbon3.ai has strengthened its leadership with appointments in government, finance and national security. Sana Khareghani, former head of the UK Government’s Artificial Intelligence Office, joins as Chief Strategy Officer, where she will lead the development of the national AI infrastructure strategy and ensure the company’s network supports the UK’s digital, industrial and energy transition.
Khareghani will be supported by Richard Collier-Keywood, former vice chair of PwC’s Global Board, who will advise on financial strategy and governance, and Admiral Sir George Zambellas, former First Sea Lord, whose experience in national resilience and large-scale technology operations will guide Carbon3.ai’s approach to infrastructure security.
Together, the new leadership team brings what Carbon3.ai describes as a “rare combination” of strategic, operational and national service expertise – positioning the company at the center of the UK’s race to secure sovereign computing capacity.
“If the UK is to be a leader in AI, we must first secure the fundamentals: computing power, power and data,” said Khareghani. “Carbon3 is building these foundations here at home, transforming legacy energy sites into a sovereign, renewable, AI-enabled infrastructure network. This isn’t theory – it’s happening on the ground now. By bringing critical infrastructure back under UK control, we are creating the sustainable capacity that will drive innovation for decades to come.”
Tom Humphreys, CEO of Carbon3.ai, said the investment reflected the UK’s urgent need for a sovereign AI infrastructure: “It’s not enough to invest in data centers – we need a national AI backbone that is located, operated and secured right here in our own country,” he said. “Our aim is to ensure that UK businesses, researchers and public bodies have access to world-class computing power without having to rely on foreign-controlled infrastructure.”
Humphreys added that the company is built on “real assets, land, power and live stakes,” noting that the government recognizes the scale of the challenge. “They have made it clear that we need 6 GW of sovereign AI capacity by 2030. We believe this network will be critical to securing this national advantage.”
The investment is closely aligned with the UK Government’s AI and digital infrastructure agenda and supports national resilience, regional regeneration and the transformation of brownfields and old energy sites into clean, renewable energy-powered data centers. Carbon3.ai’s expansion also aligns with plans for AI Growth Zones and the designation of new data center capacity as critical national infrastructure.
Carbon3.ai’s announcement represents one of the largest private sector commitments to date to accelerate the UK’s sovereign AI capabilities – and signals the rapid emergence of a new strategic industry for the UK’s economic future.
