Colt DCS Receives Approval to Expand West London Hyperscale Campus with £2.5 Billion Investment in UK's AI Economy

PRNewswire
London [UK], November 4: Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a leading global provider of AI, hyperscale, and large enterprise data centres, has announced that it has received committee approval (Resolution to Grant) from Hillingdon Council to expand its Hayes Digital Park campus in West London with three new hyperscale data centres and an Innovation Hub. The £2.5 billion investment will strengthen the UK's digital infrastructure, support the government's modern industrial strategy, and help drive the nation's growing AI economy.
* Planned three new hyperscale data centres and innovation hub with power secured
The three new hyperscale data centres, London 6, 7, & 8, will be powered using 100% renewable energy through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Power contracts for this development have been secured with National Grid and a high voltage supply is due to be delivered by October 2027. The expansion will add an additional 97MW to the available IT power at the Hayes Digital Park, taking the total capacity to 160MW. Construction is expected to start in mid-2026, with the first data centre (London 6) scheduled to go live in early 2029. Once operational, the new facilities will create over 500 permanent jobs, training more than 50 technical apprentices over a ten-year build programme.
In addition to the data centres, Colt DCS will develop an Innovation Hub in partnership with Brunel University, designed to serve as a community space and incubator for digital start-ups. The hub will promote economic synergy by co-locating light-industrial and digital innovation businesses, creating opportunities for collaboration, research, and skills development within an affordable workspace. Students from Brunel University will be encouraged to use the hub to develop entrepreneurial projects and technology-led ventures to support the digital economy.
AECOM has been appointed to develop the design proposals for the Innovation Hub. The facility aims to act as a base for innovation and community engagement, with flexible space for future industrial use, in line with planning policy for Strategic Industrial Land. It will also provide social value by hosting local events themed around culture, food, film, music, and literature.
The new development will also deliver a district heating network, using waste heat from the data centres to support local businesses, communities, and residential buildings. Under the planning permission, back-up generators will only be permitted to operate for a maximum of 15 hours per year, with the data centres powered directly from the national grid.
"This announcement marks another important milestone for the UK's digital economy," said Xavier Matagne, Chief Real Estate Officer at Colt DCS. "Data centres are a cornerstone of digital transformation. With this expansion, we can help power innovation, support the AI revolution, and contribute to the energy transition."
"Our new campus in Hayes, including the Innovation Hub in partnership with Brunel University, will drive community value, from reusing heat for district heating to creating jobs, skills, and long-term investment. As one of the few operators capable of delivering new capacity in this area of London over the next decade, we're proud to be helping power the UK's future economy in a sustainable and inclusive way," Matagne continued.
Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, said: "Hillingdon is open for business, and we're working closely with our business community, new and existing investors and partners to drive innovation and development in the right places.
"The innovation hub is an exciting new development that will help to foster economic growth. It will help to equip residents and smaller local businesses with the right skills, affordable workspaces, and opportunities to thrive.
"Hayes is playing a leading role in shaping London's digital economy and infrastructure and it's vital local people have more opportunities to experience the benefits."
About Colt DCS
We design, build and operate data centres for global hyperscalers and large enterprises. Our global portfolio includes 13 operational data centres, with an additional 19 in development across 11 cities in the UK, Europe, and the APAC region. We enable our customers to effectively plan for the growth of their business while also providing them with peace of mind. We provide secure, resilient, well-connected infrastructure with planned future capacity growth potential. We have over 25 years of experience in the data centre industry, delivering on our vision of being the most trusted and customer-centric data centre operator in the market. We put the environment at the heart of everything we do by recognising this as a fundamental responsibility towards our planet. That's why we're taking ownership to reduce our environmental impact globally and make sustainability a key strategic driver. As part of our sustainability planning, Colt DCS has set comprehensive near-and long-term Science Based Targets to cut our emissions in line with the SBTi's latest Net Zero Standard.
https://www.coltdatacentres.net
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