With the government announcing it had secured investment to create one of the largest artificial intelligence data centres in Europe, this fast-developing sector is firmly in the public eye.
The £10 billion centre will be based in the North East of England, and aims to deliver jobs and wealth creation and position Britain as a major player on the global stage..
Surging demand for AI-ready data centres to store and process our ever-growing data demands presents many opportunities for companies and investors, according to a recent report.
Our business development manager Oliver Jenkins discusses how Clegg Food Projects is perfectly positioned to support the data centre market…
What is a data centre?
A data centre stores and shares applications and data. The proliferation of data centres reflects the growth in internet and digital operations that enables users to access information at the touch of a button. Huge amounts of computing resources, such as servers, storage and networking systems are needed to distribute vast amounts of data.
According to the Data Centre Map organisation, there are almost 400 data centres spread throughout the UK, which it describes as one of the key markets in Europe and a financial hotspot and gateway for transatlantic internet traffic.
What facilities do data centres require?
Large-scale computing and data processing operations need large, specialist facilities to house them – and the additional considerations of high-level cybersecurity measures, advanced cooling technologies and back-up power systems to keep them constantly running.
Data centres need huge amounts of processing power for their systems and robotics. They also need clean room, and potentially anti-static, environments and advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
What experience does Clegg Food Projects have in this field?
We work with advanced manufacturing companies across a range of sectors needing robotic assembly lines, high-level electronics, laboratories, and facilities to house heavy technology.
Each sector has common requirements, including the need for safe, clean, fire-rated and well-ventilated facilities, from a food production line and car assembly process to high-level aerospace and defence infrastructure.
Whether designing and creating a new-build factory premises or completing a detailed refit or change of use of a current space, we work closely with clients to understand their needs in a fast-changing environment.
Clegg completed the fit-out of listed aerospace and defence sector manufacturer and FTSE 100 company Meggitt Aerospace’s new facility, which required the installation of complex building service requirements.
A new 75,000 sq ft factory for global robotics company CMR Surgical in Cambridge required specialist clean room environments for manufacturing and product R&D. We are currently live onsite for a production expansion at Schneider Electric’s manufacturing facility in Leeds.
We were appointed as the principal contractor by ITM Power plc for the fit-out of an industrial unit for its Giga Factory in Bessemer Park, Sheffield. The project involved creating assembly areas, specialist rooms and zones to meet its research and manufacturing needs.
Clegg has also been appointed as the principal contractor to deliver one of the most advanced EV charging facilities in the UK for GRIDSERVE, the tech-enabled sustainable energy business. Our team will deliver the state-of-the-art Electric Forecourt®, with 30 charging bays, on site at Markham Vale, near Chesterfield.
Clegg is on-site for the construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for Parkinson Harness Technology, a subsidiary of Dhoot Transmission, India’s second-largest manufacturer of wiring harnesses and automotive electronics. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the factory in Boston, Lincolnshire, will produce cutting-edge devices and components for the electric vehicle industry.
How does Clegg Food Projects support data centre building strategies?
We can create world-class facilities for the data centre sector, providing the ideal locations for storing the computing and processing infrastructure that IT systems, servers and data storage drives need.
We can help with:
- Creating ‘clean room’ and temperature-controlled environments
- Upgrading power supplies and buildings ready for installing new technologies
- Accommodating increased floor loading for heavy equipment
- Assisting with advanced fire safety protection
- Reconfiguring facilities on ‘live’ working sites, causing minimal disruption
- Creating new sites to accommodate large process equipment in advance of the surrounding walls and roof being built
- Using renewable and sustainable technologies in the design phase
What technical considerations do data centres need?
Data centres are heavily reliant on power, so ideally need to be situated near to ample energy supplies, as well as renewables and possibly battery storage systems. Furthermore, they need high-quality and clean temperature-controlled environments that are secure and adequately fire-protected.
Step-by-step guide to creating a data centre:
- Assess your requirements – will your building be big enough to contain the planned number of servers and are you hoping to expand in the future?
- Location – your data centre will need access to extensive power supplies and advanced communication connections
- Consider the design – look at the floor space and loading requirements, the size and volume of wire and cable storage and workforce needs
- Cooling and power systems – temperature considerations are key to keeping the equipment at the optimum temperature, with large amounts of power required including back-up sources and generators
- Evaluate your security measures – to be physical, energy and cyber secure
How does your food and drink industry experience help with data centre creation?
Clegg Food Projects understands the ever-changing demands factories and developments like data centres must contend with and how essential it is to keep pace with the huge technological changes the UK industry faces. Factories are swiftly evolving into highly efficient hubs that harness smart technology, automation and robots to transform production methods.
From the outside, the food and drink factories we have built might look like any other manufacturing facility, but they contain complex and sophisticated equipment and technologies.
Our experience in the food and beverage industry in ensuring factories are clean, have enough power, are temperature-controlled, automated, secure, and designed and built with the core function in mind is readily transferable to data centres.
Why should a data centre developer speak to Clegg Food Projects?
Clegg Food Projects’ reputation for delivering exceptional buildings in the food and drink sector and beyond over the last 40 years has given us invaluable experience to meet the increasing demand for advanced manufacturing facilities and data centres alike.
We have transferable skills that have been successfully used in the aerospace, defence, robotics and electronics sectors. Our talented team focuses on client collaboration to ensure we are designing a building fit for its primary function.
Data centres have many similar requirements to production facilities. In most of our projects we ensure the construction programme is phased around the specialist equipment installation and that the building’s interfaces, such as utilities, are fit for the process and
Talk to our data centre experts today
We have the expertise to understand the needs of the rapidly advancing sectors we work with, embracing the need for huge technological change while incorporating efficiency and low carbon at every stage.
Please get in touch with our specialists today to discuss your needs.
Email us at foodprojects@clegggroup.co.uk or call us on 0115 841 3121.