Plans for a £61m data centre in Salford have been approved with a potential 2022 start for construction.
California-based data infrastructure firm Equinix is behind the scheme which would be its fifth data centre in the Greater Manchester area. It will be located in the Agecroft Commerce Park and see a warehouse retrofitted to accommodate the 144,000 square foot data centre.
Equinix also received approval for a sixth data centre in Manchester, which is larger at 255,000 square foot. No value has been given for the development, however. Arup developed the plans for both.
In addition to the warehouse conversion, the work laid out includes the alteration of parking spaces and installation of more foundations supporting the mezzanine and first floor. Extensions will be made to the office space.
Equinix’s vice president for sales, UK, Lorraine Wilkinson said, “The new site will bring Equinix’s total investment in Manchester to over £130m, and £1bn+ in the UK’s digital infrastructure as a whole.”
UK Science and Innovation Minister George Freeman said that investment in new technologies to support business in the UK was crucial in the post-pandemic recovery plan.