A £4bn data centre investment in the UK by one of the industry’s biggest companies has been confirmed today, Sky News can reveal.
The money is being put up by Equinix – one of the most significant players on the global stage when it comes to providing data centre space for other clients.
The 85-acre site in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, would have 250 megawatts of processing capacity and aim to be up and running by 2030.
This doubles the company’s processing power in Britain, and shows it is willing to invest in the UK despite concerns about energy costs and its environmental impact.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Sky News the announcement was a “huge vote of confidence in Britain”.
Megawhat?
Megawatts are how the industry measures the power of a data centre.
Until recently, a 20MW or 30MW facility was considered huge, but the AI boom has seen these numbers explode.
To put today’s announcement into context, a government estimate at the end of last year reckoned the UK had a data centre capacity of around 1,566MW.
An increase of 250MW roughly doubles Equinix’s footprint in the UK, and £4bn is its biggest commitment in Europe.
Equinix already has a data centre site in Slough
Why are data centres important?
They can support jobs, redevelop post-industrial areas, and boost economic growth.
This has seen the government bend over backwards to make it easier for the divisive projects to be green lit, including “grey belt” designation for areas of green belt land earmarked for development.
The grey belt, according to the government, includes land near existing settlements, roads, and other existing infrastructure, and disused car parks and petrol stations.
Labour controlled Hertsmere council approved the project,…
