The facility, set to be located on green belt land across from South Mimms service station in Hertfordshire, would span up to two million square feet of space and will cost around £3.75 billion (USD$4.6 billion) to construct.
Despite some local objections filed against the project last year, the data centre was given the go-ahead by the council.
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A spokesperson for DC01UK, said: “We want to thank Hertsmere Borough Council for their open and pragmatic approach to DC01UK’s plans. They understand our ambition for both the project and the borough.
“[The data centre] will bring huge benefits for local people through a stronger local economy, more skilled jobs and better opportunities. Our plans also include a raft of upgrades for local transport, including new and existing bus routes, expansion of the local cycle hire scheme and road improvements.”
The site was one of the first data centre projects unveiled in the wake of the government’s decision to classify data centres as critical national infrastructure (CNI). The government has since opened up the ability for data centre projects to apply for expedited planning approvals under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme.
Sir Chris Bryant, the UK telecoms minister, said: “Data centres are the beating hearts of this modern age, powering the digital infrastructure that we can no longer live without.
“Data centres like this will not only play a pivotal role in our AI Opportunities Action Plan but drive economic growth through the creation of skilled jobs across the South East.”
The DC01UK project will see 54% of its 85 acres retained as green, open space. The plans also include expanding a local cycle hire programme, £2 million (USD$2.4 million) of upgrades for new and existing bus routes, and improvements to cycle paths, footpaths and crossings.
Compared to other new UK projects like those from Nscale and CoreWeave, DC01UK is being spearheaded by a joint venture bringing together construction company Griggs Group and renewables firm Chiltern Green Energy.
The team behind DC01UK claim it will generate £21.4 million (USD$26.6 million) in business rates once the data centre is operational, and create 200 jobs, supporting a further 13,740 indirect jobs.
“Our plan will put Hertfordshire at the epicentre of the new data centre revolution, as well as creating £3.75 billion for the economy during construction and almost 14,000 indirect jobs once operational,” a DC01UK spokesperson said in a statement.
Stephen Beard, head of data centres at Knight Frank who is advising on the project, said: “DC01UK is a first of its kind. The largest data centre development in Europe in the world’s second-largest market, which is perfectly positioned in its ability to service the ever-increasing cloud demand today whilst accommodating the AI needs of tomorrow.
“A first and great example of the UK’s shift towards becoming a dominant superpower in cloud, AI and general digital infrastructure.”
While DC01UK vies to become Europe’s largest data centre, the title of the world's largest data centre is currently being fought by a myriad of players, including Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance with its multi-gigawatt-scale site in Jamnagar, Meta’s facility in Richland Parish, Louisiana; and celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary’s proposed site in Wonder Valley, Alberta, Canada, among others.
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