DC01UK has confirmed that colocation giant Equinix has acquired the 85-acre plot of green belt land in Hertfordshire it secured planning permission for transforming into a hyperscale datacentre campus back in January 2025.
The acquisition, according to DC01UK, represents one of the largest infrastructure and real estate transactions in the world, with Equinix confirming it intends to invest a total of £3.9bn in building out the site. As such, Equinix has committed to creating two million square feet of datacentre space on the site, which is expected to house at least 250MW of compute capacity on completion.
The site, now renamed by Equinix as the Hertfordshire Campus, is expected to directly generate 2,500 jobs during the construction phase of the project, and more than 200 permanent roles once the buildout phase is finished. At present, Equinix operates 14 datacentres in the UK, and employs more than 1,200 people.
DC01UK, meanwhile, is a company formed in July 2022 through a joint venture between renewable energy consultancy Chiltern Green Energy and building developer Griggs Home.
The organisation originally applied for planning permission for the Hertfordshire site in September 2024, and several days later the project was name-checked in a government press release about its plans to reclassify datacentres as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).
The accompanying planning documents also made clear that DC01UK’s intention was to secure outline planning permission for a hyperscale datacentre campus to be built on the site, and then sell it on to an operator to complete the build to their own specifications.
With the Hertfordshire site now sold off, Computer Weekly contacted DC01UK if it had any further projects planned, with a spokesperson for the organisation indicating it is two projects – codenamed DC02 and DC03 – in the pipeline.
“The ambition behind the DC01UK project is extraordinary and we are delighted that the vision for this project will be taken forward by leading experts committed to delivering it to the highest standards, maintaining our ambition, realising the community benefits and embedding themselves in the growth and future of Hertfordshire,” said DC01UK director James Craig in a statement.
“For us, it’s a proud moment that also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as we continue to progress other UK datacentre development opportunities to drive further innovation and investment in this space across the UK.”
And while the original project attracted government support, DC01UK has received a fair amount of local opposition to its plans, including more than 900 objections to its planning permission bid.
Equinix has said it plans to work in close collaboration with local residents and businesses to ensure they reap the benefits of its investment in the area, which will include rolling out education, employment and biodiversity programmes that its vows will be “truly additive to the region.”
The company has already stated that the site will be renewably powered and will make use of “dry cooling” techniques to regulate the temperature of the equipment inside, while ensuring the site consumes the same amount of water as conventional office buildings.
Furthermore, Equinix has committed to ensuring its development will result in 54% of the site’s open spaces being retained, as well as the creation of ecological habitats that will deliver a promised biodiversity net gain of at least 10%.
James Tyler, UK managing director of Equinix, said the project represents the company’s biggest investment in Europe so far, and is a big win for both the national and local economies.
“This development brings a significant amount of datacentre capacity to Britain, contributing to the government’s AI growth ambition,” said Tyler. “But this investment goes far beyond building the infrastructure needed to unlock the UK’s digital potential. It’s the evolution of an ongoing partnership with the local and national community.”
Liz Kendall, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said the creation of the Equinix datacentre campus will boost UK businesses in a wide range of industries, from life sciences to financial services.
“This £3.9bn investment is a huge win for Britain. It will give businesses … the ability to connect to thousands of other businesses across the world in an instant, powering our AI ambitions, boosting growth and creating hundreds of well-paid jobs. This is about making sure the UK is at the forefront of the digital revolution and ensuring that every community benefits from the opportunities this new technology brings.”
