Data center colocation company Equinix has announced plans for a new data center complex on the site of a former paint factory in Slough.
The proposals include a series of buildings comprising a data room, a front area with office space and rear spaces supporting the management of the facility as a whole.
As part of the move, Equinix specified low-flow fixtures, low-water cooling towers and sustainable urban drainage solutions with attenuation tanks for the new site, along with energy-efficient cooling and ventilation and energy-efficient internal and external lighting. .
Meanwhile, he said the project will improve biodiversity on the site by at least 10%, as required by Slough Council, through the use of green roofs and building plantings, along with the planting of native species and the introduction of boxes for birds and bats. .
This is not Equinix's first green data center. In early 2023, the colocation provider launched a rooftop farm at one of its data centers in France.
Located in the Equinix PA10 data center in Saint-Denis, Paris, the farm uses waste energy to power itself.
Equinix said at the time that the goal of the project was to promote data center sustainability. The company said food grown on site would be shared between staff and visitors.
Equinix bought the land in 2022 and is now clearing the 11.5-acre site, which has been empty since 2018. It intends to apply for planning permission later this year and hopes it will be granted in 2025 or 2026.
The colocation provider noted that it does not expect construction to begin until 2027 or 2028.
The company said the UK is its second largest market, with 14 data centers in London and another in Manchester. It already has six sites in and around Slough, with a seventh about to start construction.
The new Slough site “would be a vital new piece of digital infrastructure within Slough. “Importantly, it would revitalize a former industrial site 'gateway' to the city.”
In London, its data centers have excellent communication links and host Equinix Internet Exchange (IX), as well as
The London Internet Exchange (LINX) and the London Network Access Point (LONAP). It hosts connectivity to major cloud service providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
“We have delivered cumulative UK-wide investment of over £1bn, employ approximately 1,400 people in the UK and are expanding in both Greater London and Manchester,” the firm said.
The company has been expanding around the world and recently announced new facilities in Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Australia.
It is also believed to plan to invest $390 million in building data centers in Africa over the next five years. It currently has 250 International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers located in 71 major cities around the world.
