Second new data centre planned for Ealing
Global Technology Realty expect to pay £14.6 million in business rates and create more than 1,000 jobs at Southall site
Ealing Council is considering plans to build four new data centres at an industrial estate in Southall.
Global Technology Realty plan to demolish existing structures on the International Trading Estate and replace them with four data centres in three buildings around 68 metres in height.
The new development, to the west of Southall by the borough boundaries with Hounslow and Hillingdon, will also include four industrial buildings, a central pavilion and two electricity substations.
The council is also considering CyrusOne’s application to build a £1.4 billion data centre on the former Honey Monster factory site in Southall.
Read: £1.4 billion data centre in Ealing proposed
The International Trading Estate, which Royal London Asset Management sold to GTR for £315 million last year, has 40 units and GTR is helping tenants relocate. Demolition is expected to take one year and construction a further four and a half years.
GTR estimates that the company expects to pay business rates of £14.6 million per year compared to £2.6 million currently paid. It also plans to pay Ealing a further £3,605,965 as a carbon offset charge.
GTR is backed by KKR, the US private equity firm which is expected to take control of Thames Water.
Excess heat from the data centres will power a local heat network which will provide heat for the industrial units on the site and could contribute to a larger heat network that Ealing Council is considering with neighbouring councils. The industrial units will also host 1,000 square metres of solar panels.
Developers estimate that the project will support 1,030 to 1,120 full time equivalent roles, an increase of 410 to 530 jobs currently supported by the site.
Last September , the government classified data centres as “critical national infrastructure” placing them on similar footing to utilities and emergency services.
West London is a popular location for data centres. Park Royal and Hayes both host data centres while Slough is estimated to have around 35.
The growth in data centres has put pressure on electric networks in west London, slowing redevelopment projects. GTR estimates the site would use 1,610,528.04 megawatt hours per year which would be sourced from renewable energy via the National Grid. CyrusOne plans to link their data centre via a private connection to the new Elstree B substation.