Air Quality Assessment Completed for Major London Data Centre Development

Alkali Environmental's consultancy division has completed a detailed air quality impact assessment for a major data centre development in East London. The assessment supported a successful planning application for a facility with significant backup diesel generator capacity.

Data centre developments present unique air quality challenges due to the emissions potential from standby diesel generators — which can collectively represent significant NOx and PM sources during maintenance testing and emergency operations. Our assessment addressed:

• ADMS dispersion modelling of generator emissions during routine testing scenarios
• Cumulative impact assessment considering existing local sources and background pollutant concentrations
• Assessment against Air Quality Neutral benchmarks required by GLA planning policy
• Emergency scenario modelling for simultaneous generator operation
• Recommendations for emission abatement technology (SCR systems)

The London Borough's environmental health team accepted our assessment methodology and findings, and the application was approved with appropriate planning conditions for emissions monitoring during operation.

This project demonstrates our growing expertise in data centre environmental assessments — a rapidly expanding sector as digital infrastructure investment accelerates across the UK. We have now completed air quality assessments for data centre projects in London, Manchester, and the Thames Valley corridor.

For developers and operators planning data centre projects, early engagement with air quality specialists can prevent costly planning delays and identify the most cost-effective compliance strategies. Discuss your project with our consultancy team →