Google has unveiled its latest venture—an estimated $1 billion investment in a new data center located just outside London on a 13-hectare plot of land acquired by the company nearly four years ago. This significant investment aims to address the escalating demand for internet services in the region, catering to businesses across the UK, fostering AI innovation, and ensuring dependable digital services for both Google Cloud customers and users in the UK and globally. The construction of the data center is expected to generate technical and construction employment opportunities for the local community.
Situated in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, this investment occurs amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of major cloud providers globally. In October, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority initiated a full investigation into the £7.5 billion cloud services market, expressing concerns about dominant players like Microsoft potentially disadvantaging customers from opting for smaller providers. This investigation follows a sector study by media watchdog Ofcom, recommending a deeper examination of major cloud providers by the CMA.
This announcement builds on Google's commitment to the region, including its $1 billion acquisition of Central Saint Giles office in 2022—a 1 million sq ft. development in central London. Additionally, Google launched the Accessibility Discovery Centre, an initiative aimed at promoting the creation of accessible technology throughout the United Kingdom.
In line with Google's dedication to sustainability, the company currently employs 7,000 people in Britain and emphasizes community service. The waste heat generated from the new data center is positioned as an opportunity for energy conservation that can benefit the local community. Google also envisions running all its data centers and campuses on carbon-free energy (CFE) every hour of every day by 2030. To support this goal, the tech giant entered into a power purchase agreement with ENGIE in 2022, securing offshore wind energy from the Moray West wind farm in Scotland. This agreement is expected to contribute 100 MW of energy to the grid, enabling Google's UK operations to operate at or near 90% carbon-free energy by 2025.
Source: Construction Review