Equinix acquires DC01UK’s mega-datacentre website in Hertfordshire and plots £3.9bn funding

DC01UK has confirmed that colocation large Equinix has acquired the 85-acre plot of inexperienced belt land in Hertfordshire it secured planning permission for remodeling right into a hyperscale datacentre campus again in January 2025.

The acquisition, in line with DC01UK, represents one of many largest infrastructure and actual property transactions on this planet, with Equinix confirming it intends to take a position a complete of £3.9bn in constructing out the positioning. As such, Equinix has dedicated to creating two million sq. ft of datacentre house on the positioning, which is predicted to accommodate at the very least 250MW of compute capability on completion.

The location, now renamed by Equinix because the Hertfordshire Campus, is predicted to straight generate 2,500 jobs in the course of the building part of the undertaking, and greater than 200 everlasting roles as soon as the buildout part is completed. At current, Equinix operates 14 datacentres within the UK, and employs greater than 1,200 individuals.

DC01UK, in the meantime, is an organization shaped in July 2022 by means of a three way partnership between renewable power consultancy Chiltern Inexperienced Vitality and constructing developer Griggs House.

The organisation initially utilized for planning permission for the Hertfordshire website in September 2024, and several other days later the undertaking was name-checked in a authorities press launch about its plans to reclassify datacentres as Important Nationwide Infrastructure (CNI).

The accompanying planning paperwork additionally made clear that DC01UK’s intention was to safe define planning permission for a hyperscale datacentre campus to be constructed on the positioning, after which promote it on to an operator to finish the construct to their very own specs.

With the Hertfordshire website now bought off, Laptop Weekly contacted DC01UK if it had any additional tasks deliberate, with a spokesperson for the organisation indicating it’s two tasks – codenamed DC02 and DC03 – within the pipeline.

“The ambition behind the DC01UK undertaking is extraordinary and we’re delighted that the imaginative and prescient for this undertaking might be taken ahead by main specialists dedicated to delivering it to the best requirements, sustaining our ambition, realising the neighborhood advantages and embedding themselves within the development and way forward for Hertfordshire,” mentioned DC01UK director James Craig in a press release.

“For us, it’s a proud second that additionally marks the start of an thrilling new chapter as we proceed to progress different UK datacentre improvement alternatives to drive additional innovation and funding on this house throughout the UK.”

And whereas the unique undertaking attracted authorities assist, DC01UK has obtained a good quantity of native opposition to its plans, together with greater than 900 objections to its planning permission bid.

Equinix has mentioned it plans to work in shut collaboration with native residents and companies to make sure they reap the advantages of its funding within the space, which is able to embody rolling out schooling, employment and biodiversity programmes that its vows might be “really additive to the area.”

The corporate has already acknowledged that the positioning might be renewably powered and can make use of “dry cooling” strategies to control the temperature of the gear inside, whereas guaranteeing the positioning consumes the identical quantity of water as typical workplace buildings.

Moreover, Equinix has dedicated to making sure its improvement will end in 54% of the positioning’s open areas being retained, in addition to the creation of ecological habitats that may ship a promised biodiversity web acquire of at the very least 10%.

James Tyler, UK managing director of Equinix, mentioned the undertaking represents the corporate’s largest funding in Europe to this point, and is a giant win for each the nationwide and native economies.

“This improvement brings a major quantity of datacentre capability to Britain, contributing to the federal government’s AI development ambition,” mentioned Tyler. “However this funding goes far past constructing the infrastructure wanted to unlock the UK’s digital potential. It’s the evolution of an ongoing partnership with the native and nationwide neighborhood.”

Liz Kendall, secretary of state for science, innovation and know-how, mentioned the creation of the Equinix datacentre campus will enhance UK companies in a variety of industries, from life sciences to monetary providers.  

“This £3.9bn funding is a large win for Britain. It’ll give companies … the power to hook up with 1000’s of different companies internationally immediately, powering our AI ambitions, boosting development and creating lots of of well-paid jobs. That is about ensuring the UK is on the forefront of the digital revolution and guaranteeing that each neighborhood advantages from the alternatives this new know-how brings.”