An enigmatic tech giant plans to build the largest data center in Europe for cloud and artificial intelligence, consuming enough energy to power 20,000 homes.
It will be built in the United Kingdom and will start operating in 2030.
The construction of a large data center in Hertfordshire has been authorized, located near the M25 motorway in London. Although it is anticipated that the future operator will be a major hyperscaler company, the specific name of the occupant has yet to be revealed. The planning application was submitted last year by a company called DC01 UK Ltd and received approval from the Hertsmere District Council shortly after the UK government introduced its AI Opportunities Action Plan, which outlines a significant role for new data centers related to artificial intelligence.
A representative from DC01 UK expressed gratitude to the Hertsmere Council for its open and practical approach toward the company’s plans. The project is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the local community, such as the creation of specialized jobs and the strengthening of the regional economy. Additionally, improvements to local transportation are anticipated, including new and expanded bus routes as well as enhancements to the bike-sharing system.
This data center, projected to be the largest in Europe in terms of cloud services and AI data, will cover up to two million square feet and require 400 MVA of energy from the National Grid, enough to supply 20,000 households. This energy requirement includes both real power and reactive power, which accounts for system inefficiencies. The project will be located east of South Mimms services, near the Elstree (Letchmore Heath) substation.
DC01 UK estimates that the construction value of the project will reach £3.75 billion, generating approximately £21.4 million in annual business rates once operational. This data center will create 500 specialized jobs during construction and 200 permanent jobs upon operation, along with 13,740 indirect jobs, of which 10,900 would be located in southeast England. The total economic impact is estimated to amount to around £1.1 billion in Gross Value Added per year.
The development will take place on an 85-acre site, of which 54% is expected to be preserved as green space, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 and operations expected to start in 2030. Regarding the identity of the hyperscaler operator, a spokesperson for DC01 UK mentioned that they have received considerable interest since the initial announcement and are in active discussions that will conclude in the near future, suggesting that they still do not have clarity on who the tenant of the center will be.
