Business
Qai builds strong global AI partnerships via major UK data centre project
Qai, a global technology company headquartered in Qatar, will expand its presence in the UK through a major AI infrastructure project on the Drax Power Station estate in the north of England.
The project is a major initiative under Qai’s AI infrastructure joint venture with Brookfield announced in 2025, and forms part of Qai’s international strategy to invest in critical infrastructure that supports the deployment and adoption of AI.
The project will be delivered in partnership with Radiant, Brookfield’s AI infrastructure platform, and Drax. It will utilise Drax Power Station’s 4GW of grid access and 2.6GW of dispatchable generation capacity.
The first phase, which will draw power directly from the grid, is targeting commercial operations in early 2028.
Qai chairman and managing director Abdulla al-Misnad said, "Our partnership with Brookfield, including the recently announced Drax-Radiant data centre project, demonstrates Qai’s commitment to developing critical AI infrastructure and reflects Qai’s position as a global business with strong commercial ties in key markets such as the UK."
Drax Power Station is at the heart of UK energy security and has supported the country’s growth for over 50 years.
Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner said, "We are proud to be partnering with leading AI infrastructure providers on this project which can help secure the long-term future of the site and protect hundreds of jobs, maintain a critical source of this country’s energy security, support northern growth and enable us to continue delivering for our local communities.”
Brookfield Global head of AI infrastructure Sikander Rashid said, "Teaming up with Drax and Qai for this project represents a major opportunity for our AI infrastructure strategy. Our capital and deep operating capabilities will help accelerate the construction of a critical piece of sovereign AI, delivered by Radiant, our UK-headquartered compute infrastructure platform. In addition to preserving hundreds of jobs, this project will also create many direct and indirect jobs around the broader Yorkshire area.”