ILI Group has submitted an application for planning permission in principle for Cato, a proposed 600MW hyperscale data centre near Auchtertool in Fife.
The development would form the flagship project within The Stoics, which is ILI Group’s planned network of large-scale data centres across Scotland’s central belt – designed to support the growing demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services.
The proposed development represents an investment of around £5 billion and would be delivered in phases over several years.
Independent analysis by BiGGAR Economics indicates that construction of the project could generate approximately £708 million in gross value added (GVA) across Scotland, including around £105 million in Fife, while supporting around 9,660 job-years across the country, including approximately 1,450 in Fife.
Once operational, the development is expected to support around 540 jobs across Scotland, including approximately 262 in Fife, and generate more than £30 million in annual GVA locally.
The site would also create around 120 permanent skilled jobs at full build-out.
Mark Wilson, CEO of ILI Group, said, “The submission of this planning application marks a major milestone for both Cato and Scotland’s digital infrastructure ambitions. Demand for data processing and AI infrastructure is growing rapidly across the world, and Scotland is well placed to play a leading role in meeting that demand thanks to its skilled workforce, strong renewable energy resources and existing industrial expertise.
“Cato represents a significant opportunity for Fife, bringing substantial investment, supporting high-quality jobs and helping to establish the region as a key location for future digital infrastructure. We look forward to continuing our engagement with local communities and stakeholders as the application progresses through the planning process.”
The proposed data centre would be powered by renewable electricity and is being brought forward on land identified for employment use within the current Fife local development plan.
The development’s projected annual water use is equivalent to that of approximately 239 homes and would be supplied through separate infrastructure from that serving Auchtertool village, with Scottish Water confirming sufficient capacity exists to support the project.
ILI Group has engaged with local stakeholders and the community as the plans have developed and intends to establish a community benefit fund alongside skills, training, and apprenticeship opportunities linked to the project.
