Carbon3.ai to invest £1bn in UK’s first fully sovereign AI infrastructure network

Carbon3.ai, the UK’s leading sovereign AI infrastructure company, has announced a £1 billion investment to build the country’s first national network of fully sovereign, sustainable, AI-ready data centers – a move expected to reshape the UK’s digital resilience, national security and long-term AI competitiveness.

The ambitious program will transform legacy industrial and energy sites into a network of high-performance, low-carbon computing centres, all designed, owned and managed exclusively within the UK. This ensures that every component – from physical locations to data processing – remains under full jurisdiction and regulatory oversight in the UK. Carbon3.ai has already completed a successful proof of concept and is preparing for large-scale deployment, with its first 5MW site opening in the East Midlands in March 2026. Planning approval 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 spanning government, finance and national security. Sana Kharghani, former head of the UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence, 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 transformation.

Kharghani will be supported by Richard Collier-Keywood, former Vice President of the Global Council of PwC, who will advise on financial strategy and governance, and Admiral Sir George Zampelas, former First Sea Lord, whose expertise 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 – putting the company at the center of the UK’s race to secure sovereign computing power.

“If the UK wants to lead in AI, we must first secure the foundations: compute, energy and data,” Kharghani said. “Carbon3 is building these foundations here at home, transforming legacy energy sites into a sovereign, renewable and AI-ready infrastructure network. This is not theory – it is happening now on the ground. By bringing critical infrastructure back under UK control, we are creating sustainable capacity that will support innovation for decades.”

Tom Humphrys, CEO of Carbon3.ai, said the investment reflects the UK’s urgent need for sovereign AI infrastructure: “It’s not enough to invest in data centers – we need a national AI backbone that is owned, operated and secured here at home.” “Our aim is to ensure that UK businesses, researchers and public institutions have access to world-class computing without relying on foreign-controlled infrastructure.”

Humphreys added that the company is building from “real assets, land, energy and live deployments,” and noted that the government recognizes the scale of the challenge. “They have been clear that we need 6 GW of sovereign AI capacity by 2030. We believe this network will be pivotal in securing this national advantage.”

The investment is closely aligned with the UK Government’s AI and Digital Infrastructure agenda, supporting national resilience, regional regeneration and the transformation of legacy power and energy sites into clean computing hubs powered by renewable energy. Carbon3.ai’s expansion is also consistent with plans for AI growth regions and the classification of new data center capacity as important national infrastructure.

The Carbon3.ai announcement represents one of the most significant private sector commitments to date to accelerate the UK’s sovereign AI capabilities – and signals the rapid emergence of a new strategic industry for Britain’s economic future.