Hit the north! UK datacentre focus shifts to M62 and points north | Computer Weekly

"Of the UK's top 10 datacentre projects, only one - at East Havering in Essex, with projected capacity of more than 600MW - is in the London area. The remainder, totalling just under 4GW, are spread north from Oxfordshire, to Lincolnshire, North Wales, the north east and Scotland, most being sites that can tap into offshore wind or nuclear power."

"The big picture is that there are 119 datacentres totalling an estimated 8GW currently in the planning process or under construction in the UK right now. The M62 corridor - with 44 projects totalling 3.3MW - is the most active region, with London and the M4 corridor just behind with 40 projects and 2.3MW."

"After that, a number of key planned datacentre completions see the capital and M4 region open a gap. That's mostly to do with projected 2030 completion dates for projects that include: 600MW (according to planning application) at East Havering; 170MW (estimated) at Uxbridge alongside new power grid capacity; 125MW (estimated) in planned Google datacentres at Thurrock; and 320MW (reported in media) at South Mimms."

The UK's largest datacentre projects are relocating from the saturated southeast to northern regions due to power grid connection limitations. Of the top 10 projects, only one major facility remains in the London area, while the remaining capacity spreads across Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire, North Wales, the northeast, and Scotland. These northern sites benefit from proximity to offshore wind and nuclear power sources. Currently, 119 datacentres totaling approximately 8GW are in planning or under construction. The M62 corridor leads with 44 projects totaling 3.3GW, followed by London and the M4 corridor with 40 projects and 2.3GW. Major southern projects like East Havering, Uxbridge, Thurrock, and South Mimms are scheduled for 2030 completion, while northern projects like Elsham Wolds will deliver capacity in phases through 2037.

Read at ComputerWeekly.com