UK data center owner/operator VIRTUS Data Centers, a member of the international ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Group, has announced intentions to build a state-of-the-art data center campus. Situated in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire, on a 50-acre freehold plot not far from the data center hub of Slough, west of London, this campus would represent a significant advancement in the provision of mega-scale, high-capacity, AI-ready data infrastructure.
This initiative is positioned to provide four data centers with 75MW of IT capacity in response to the constantly increasing need for a reliable data center infrastructure. The project is expected to begin building in the fourth quarter of 2024 and be operational in the second quarter of 2026. It has already passed all the planning barriers and is prepared for construction. With a 120MVA contract signed with the National Grid, the VIRTUS Saunderton site would have enough electricity to meet its high capacity targets.
“The acquisition of this new 50-acre campus in the UK is a significant step in VIRTUS’ strategic growth plans,” said Neil Cresswell, CEO at VIRTUS Data Centres.VIRTUS CEO Neil Cresswell stressed the significance of this new campus in the organization’s strategic expansion ambitions. In addition, as Mr. Cresswell notes, this new build is a major step in VIRTUS's European expansion, which also includes establishing a presence in Berlin at two campus locations: Marienpark and Wustermark.
"The acquisition of this new 50-acre campus is a significant step in VIRTUS' strategic growth plans,” said Neil Cresswell. “It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to provide advanced data center facilities in the UK, whilst also expanding our operations in Europe. Our focus is to support the evolving requirements of our customers, wherever they need them, and the burgeoning demand for AI-ready data infrastructure. We are dedicated to being at the forefront of supporting businesses on their digital transformation journeys, whilst ensuring that our data centers are built to the highest sustainability standards, aligning with our target to be carbon neutral by 2030.”
Data Center Sustainability
The new data center campus will be a living example of sustainability with a number of elements, such as rainwater collecting, investigating the use of waste heat for nearby farmland, operating under the zero-waste-to-landfill philosophy, and aiming for LEED Gold certification. In addition, VIRTUS will provide yearly carbon offset payments to the local government for ten years in order to support local environmental development programs.
The STT GDC Group has its operations in the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, India, and the UK. Via the Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 7, Macquarie Asset Management purchased a sizeable minority interest in VIRTUS in December 2022. Global asset manager Macquarie Asset Management gives access to specialized investing knowledge in a variety of areas, such as real estate, infrastructure, and green investments.
