Kao Data, the specialist developer and operator of high-performance data centres, have unveiled plans for a £350m new data centre to be built in Reddish, Greater Manchester.
Following the acquisition of two new data centres last year, the move represents the next phase in the continued expansion of the Kao Data platform, with Manchester named as the first of its new Tier II locations in Europe.
The latest phase of Kao Data’s platform expansion has seen the company secure a 39,000m2 ex-industrial site for sustainable redevelopment at Kenwood Point, Manchester.
The new data centre, which is planned to become operational in late 2025, will provide space for nine data halls, creating a leading infrastructure hub to support Greater Manchester’s growing technology ecosystem and the UK’s largest high performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors outside of London and the Oxford-Cambridge arc.
Kao Data’s first data centre in the North of England will deliver an industry-leading PUE of 1.2, be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and utilise hydrotreated vegetable oil in its generators – providing the highest-grade, sustainable data centre capacity in the region.
Furthermore, the data centre will be precision-engineered to incorporate heat re-use capabilities, supporting local communities in its immediate vicinity with a valuable resource in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis.
Spencer Lamb, chief commercial officer, Kao Data, said: “Our move into Manchester marks an important next step in the continued evolution of our organisation, and we’re excited to bring our industry-leading data centre platform to one of the UK’s most influential technology and business hubs.
“We believe our new facility will set a new standard for sustainable data centres within the region and will provide a piece of foundational infrastructure that supports both Northern England’s advanced computing clusters, and the UK Governments’ ambitions to become a technological and economic powerhouse for HPC and AI.”
Manchester has been hailed as one of the UK’s fastest growing technology hubs and has established itself as the country’s pre-eminent Tier II data centre cluster, driven by the media, scientific research, and enterprise sectors.
The city’s technology ecosystem, for example, is projected to add £74.8bn GVA to the UK economy, and the region is an attractive location for enterprise with access to a highly skilled workforce, readily available renewable energy, and lower operating costs than the London market.