UK operator Kao Data has broken ground on its £350 million ($464m) data center in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
The facility is set to host 40MW across 25,900 sqm (279,000 sq ft), with completion scheduled for 2026.
The company first announced plans for the Stockport facility in May 2023 and filed for planning permission in December. When originally announced, the nine-data hall data center was due to come online in late 2025.
The operator said its facility will “cement Manchester’s growing reputation as a major hub for UK digital infrastructure and technology innovation.”
The build comes shortly after the UK declared data centers critical national infrastructure.
At the groundbreaking event today, Spencer Lamb, chief commercial officer at Kao Data, told DCD that Manchester was an attractive option for providing diverse routes and resiliency in the UK, “balancing out” the concentration of data centers in the south of the country.
The facility will also be an attractive option for customers looking to colocate in Dublin, where power is constrained, as Manchester is a mere 150 miles from the Irish capital, he added.
According to Lamb, locals in the area have become increasingly receptive to the data center facility and the economic benefits it will bring.
The groundbreaking was attended by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who said: “As we continue our mission to ensure world-class digital infrastructure for the region, this new data center will play a pivotal part in our fast-growing and diverse technology ecosystem, reinforcing our position as a global leader in AI and data center capacity.”
UK government designates data centers as Critical National Infrastructure
Means operators can call on more support in emergencies
He told DCD: “This is the first of its kind in Manchester. We like to be first and Stockport has been rewarded for its vision.”
He added that Greater Manchester will continue to bolster its connectivity since rolling out a fiber network across the city and will make efforts to decarbonize the local electricity systems by 2028.
Cllr Mark Hunter, leader of Stockport Council, said the impact on the local economy cannot be underestimated, with the new data center expected to bring both direct and indirect jobs across construction, engineering, and operations to the region.
Burnham added that the local government is working to make data center job opportunities “visible” to the young people in Stockport. Kao Data also has plans to engage with schools and local students through the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate.
