CNBC ties Microsoft’s Nscale decision to Loughton grid access

CNBC’s October 21, 2026, interview-page headline linked Microsoft’s decision involving Nscale to a lack of grid connections. The reported withdrawal concerns Nscale’s planned data center in Loughton, Essex.

Why grid access mattered at Loughton

The Telegraph reported that grid officials did not expect the Loughton site to receive power until the 2030s. A grid connection links a facility to the electricity network, so its timing affects when a data center can draw power from that network.

Nscale’s October 15, 2025, announcement scheduled deliveries for Loughton from Q1 2027. It described a facility planned for 50 MW, scalable to 90 MW, with about 23,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs. These were announced plans for the site.

The reported withdrawal concerns Loughton

The Telegraph reported that Microsoft had ended its agreement for the Loughton site. Nscale said it remained committed to the project and was exploring alternative power sources. The company also said its wider relationship with Microsoft remained strong and long-term, and that other contracts were unaffected.

Nscale’s wider announced GPU program

Nscale’s October 15, 2025, announcement described a planned program of about 200,000 NVIDIA GB300 GPUs across four countries. Its site allocations were:

For broader company context, NeoTeo also covered Nscale’s pre-IPO financing.