aql get approval for DC4: Leeds’ newest data centre

DC4, aql’s newest £43 million datacentre has been approved by Leeds City Council planners, with construction starting on the facility in early 2013.

DC4 will be a large, sustainable datacentre capable of housing 2440 server racks capable of serving the entire region. DC4 has been given the go-ahead to be built and planning is underway, despite aql only recently opening their third high capacity datacentre, DC3.

The site for the proposed datacentre will have a floor space of around 120,000 square feet over two six-storey buildings, and will be the UK’s largest independent datacentre outside London.

The facilty will be built on part of a 3.14-hectare brownfield site in Hunslet, formerly the location of Leeds’ Yorkshire Chemicals plant. The Brownfield site is an ideal location for a sustainable datacentre and an effective use of the land.Excess heat produced by the datacentre will be recycled and used to heat nearby buildings, and the land surrounding the site will be redeveloped and landscaped to create green spaces and civic amenities for local residents.

DC4 will bring improved Internet connectivity and network infrastructure to Leeds, benefiting both businesses and people in the city and the surrounding areas. The datacentre will be carrier neutral, meaning that multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be able to take up residence in the datacentre, stimulating competition and therefore providing best value for businesses with interests within the datacentre.

aql founder and CEO Dr Adam Beaumont said:
“We’ve always found that we need to concentrate on our next datacentre project, and with that in mind we’re already making plans to build DC4 whilst only just completing DC3. DC4 is on a completely different scale; 2440 racks will provide enough space for many of the larger Internet Service Providers to establish a firm and competitive presence in Leeds.

“We’re on track to fill our existing data storage facilities by mid 2013, so the new DC4 site will allow expansion room to support the data growth from the IT, media and mobile sectors – including the huge demands which 4G will place on the region’s infrastructure.

“This project will put Leeds, and Yorkshire as a whole, in a very strong position to fulfill their superfast broadband promise.”

DC4 has the potential to make a huge impact on Leeds’ infrastructure and economy, and could help define the city as a major hub for digital business. Lurene Joseph, Leeds and Partners chief executive, said:
“The new data centre is another key milestone for Leeds as we work to make the city a centre of excellence across all aspects of digital technology.

“Businesses in Leeds across a wide variety of sectors, from retail and fashion to medical technology and bio informatics, now have confidence in the unique proposition we can offer – a city with the talent pool, the digital infrastructure and the opportunities to grow their business.”

Conceptual video for DC4:

New aql data centre video (MP4)
New aql data centre video (WAV)

Press coverage:

Datacentres.com
Yorkshire Business Insider
bdaily – Business News Network
The Yorkshire Post
DatacenterDynamics