Planning has been submitted for a new two million sq ft data centre in Hertfordshire.
Submitted by DC01UK the project is expected to be one of the largest data centre campuses in Europe, set in the grounds of 85 acres adjacent to the A1 and M25.
Construction plans to align with Hertsmere Borough Council’s Net Zero strategy by delivering:
- low-carbon buildings
- on-site renewable power generation
- Net biodiversity on the site due to increase by at least 10 per cent
- 54 per cent of the site to be retained as open, green space
The project is aimed to be operational in 2029, with an estimated construction value of approximately £3.75 billion.
According to market expert Glenigan, the development of new data centre projects across the country stands out as one of the most promising sources of new work, with the increase in the use of AI, cloud computing, storage, and data-heavy services like video streaming.
The site already has a reserved power reservation of 400MVA from National Grid enabled by its proximity to the Elstree (Letchmore Heath) substation.
DC01UK claims it is likely the UK’s largest pre-2030 power reservation.
The project also aims to support at least 500 jobs during the construction phase, and support at least 200 new, permanent jobs once operational.
Last Thursday (12 September), the government announced that data centres powering the economy will be put on the same critical footing as energy and water systems.
A spokesperson for DC01UK, said: “The ambition for this project is to build the next generation of national digital infrastructure to power the needs of tomorrow.
“This project would put Hertfordshire at the forefront of one of the most technologically exciting projects in Europe and lead the world in setting the gold-standard for the next generation of high-tech infrastructure.”
Peter Kyle MP, technology secretary, said: “Data centres play an essential role in British society, housing some of our most important data from vital NHS records to sensitive financial information.
“This huge £3.75 billion proposed investment is a vote of confidence in our plans to support the sector to thrive, ensuring everyone across society can feel the economic benefits of its growth.
“To achieve this, we must make the sector resilient to the challenges of today – from heatwaves to cyber attacks – which is why only today we have announced we will class data centres as ‘Critical National Infrastructure’, on par with energy supply systems.”
Councillor Jeremy Newmark, leader of Hertsmere Borough Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “This is incredibly exciting news. It shows that Hertsmere is an extremely desirable location for business and is a natural base for the cutting-edge technology and critical infrastructure which will serve Britain in the coming years and for many future generations.”
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