Recycling and waste management company Viridor and sustainable energy specialists Rivington Energy have agreed to develop a portfolio of up to 200 MW of AI-ready data centres powered by electricity from several of Viridor’s UK energy-from-waste sites. The first proposed project is at Avonmouth in Bristol, where a 40 MW facility has already been submitted for planning consideration.
The companies say the partnership is meant to meet rising demand for AI and digital infrastructure while making use of steady power produced by Viridor’s waste facilities. They argue that sourcing electricity directly from these sites could improve cost competitiveness, avoid some grid constraints and provide a lower-carbon supply through renewable energy certificates.
Viridor and Rivington are also looking at sites in Greater London, Oxfordshire and Fife. The Avonmouth project, if approved, could begin operating as early as 2027 and is designed for high-density computing with racks up to 144 kW.
The plan reflects a growing trend in which data centre developers are seeking dedicated power arrangements rather than relying solely on the grid. In this case, the companies are linking digital infrastructure with residual waste energy, aiming to turn a baseload industrial asset into a platform for AI growth.
