As the growth and application of artificial intelligence (AI) continue, data centre owners and operators are gearing up to handle the resulting flood of data.
Here in the UK, the new government is focused on expanding the country’s science and technology sector, placing even greater emphasis on the need to store and process data for businesses at the cutting edge of science.
This change of gear has resulted in data centres being regarded as key national infrastructure developments since they support growth across the economy.
As a result, data centre developments are more in favour than ever. For example, in June 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner decided to reopen planning appeals for two data centre developments in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
These had previously been blocked.
The key to all of this is the design and specification stages
Shahid Rahman EMEA Data Centre Strategic Account Lead
Growth and reduction
This all bodes well for the data centre industry but at the same time, everyone is focused on reducing carbon so we can get to net zero and this sees data centre owners grappling with the need to focus on energy and sustainability.
Data centres need a lot of cooling to keep the ‘lights on’, so as major users of energy, they are also coming under scrutiny for their carbon footprint.
I’ve written previously about the move to a new metric: the Energy Reuse Factor (ERF) and how heat pumps and heat networks can help keep centres operating and reuse otherwise wasted heat.
The key to all of this is the design and specification stages which is why we have developed a guide showing how using available technologies, we can harness waste heat and make data centres part of the UK's sustainable future.
Location, location, location
Coming back to the site for new data centres, even with government support, finding the right location around the UK is challenging. Historically, the earliest data centres were located to the west of London and while there are still many data centres based there, it’s a crowded location.
Geographically, the UK is not a large country and land around London is limited as well as a costly. The growing interest in large, hyperscale data centre developments also means that finding the right space (and enough of it) is more challenging. As a result, developers are searching beyond the capital.
A good example of this is the announcement that Microsoft is planning a hyperscale data centre at the former Skelton Grange power station near Leeds. In addition, the company has plans for two further large data centres in Newport in Wales and Eggborough in West Yorkshire.
Planning permission is also being sought for an AI data centre in North Lincolnshire near the Humber estuary at the Humber Tech Park. This would be one of the largest data centres in Europe.
Local councils around the UK are realising the potential of their environs as potential hosts of the growing data centre sector which brings with it much-needed jobs. One example is Blackpool where the council has developed a masterplan for Silicon Sands, an area that would be dedicated to data centres and tech companies.
London is still the centre
But despite squeezed land availability, London is still a big draw for data centre developers, given the presence of significant corporations, government and research centres in the capital. And there are areas where space for large-scale data centres can be found.
For instance, Ada Infrastructure has received permission to build a 210MW data centre campus at the Royal Docks, in the East of London. Its facilities will be ‘AI ready’ from day one of opening. East London is popular with data centre developers, and operators already present include NTT and Global Switch.
Another reason that London (and other cities) are still attracting interest from data centre developers is the importance of ‘edge’ data centres. These smaller facilities offer faster data processing because of their geographical proximity to end-users and their devices. Edge data centres are vital in the delivery of cloud computing and delivering cached data.
Data Centre Magazine reported earlier in 2024 that the global market for edge data centres is set to grow by 14.8% up to 2030. This reflects a surge in demand for fast delivery of data through 5G networks and the Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
A future of possibilities
The growth of data centres in the UK is not linear. We are seeing changes in geographic location and a wider range of data centre scales, from hyper to edge. There is also a growing awareness across the country that attracting these developments can provide growth for regional areas, creating a sense of competition.
Another important factor here is significant demand for data centre cooling technology that can meet a range of needs in terms of removing heat, but also in terms of robust and reliable performance, energy efficiency and straightforward maintenance.
This is a fast-growing sector and will be an important market for the construction and building services sectors in the next decade. Mitsubishi Electric already has significant experience working with engineers on projects in this sector across the UK and Europe.
We also have with a range of suitable technologies, so we can help clients successfully embrace the opportunities this growing market offers.
If you’d like to find out more about our specialist data centre products and services, check out our dedicated IT Cooling website or drop me an email.
Shahid Rahman is EMEA Data Centre Strategic Account Lead (Engineered IT Cooling Solutions)
