New CyrusOne UK Facility Promises to Advance Sustainability

The data centre developer and operator has announced plans for a brand-new data centre facility on the edge of London.

LON6 marks CyrusOne’s sixth location in the UK and promises to deliver 90 megawatts (MW) of IT capacity with a sustainability, community and biodiversity ethos at its core. The facility also aims to represent the next step in CyrusOne’s ongoing development programme for growth and expansion across Europe.

Located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, the development is expected to break ground in Q3 2026, with initial power due to arrive mid 2027. First capacity is expected to be delivered in early 2028.

“This development marks an important step in our European growth journey,” says Matt Pullen, EVP and Managing Director, Europe at CyrusOne. “We’re thrilled to be announcing our plans for this new facility and continuing our growth in London.”

The sustainability pledge

The new facility is designed to be fully integrated into the landscape, with green roofs and planted walls. It will also deliver a 71% Biodiversity Net Gain for local habitats, which is more than seven times higher than the 10% required by UK government regulations.

CyrusOne also says the data centre has been designed to achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” certification and, powered from Iver Grid Supply Point, the design uses 100% certified renewable electricity provided by SSEN.

Additionally, the project also aims to restore and reconnect the landscape and improve the site’s biodiversity by creating a parkland and new habitats that aims to advance the quality of the Colne Valley Regional Park.

The company’s landscaping plans include planting 670 trees, over 7,000 square metres of woodland and 90,600 square metres of mixed meadow and acid grassland. Likewise, 72,800 square metres of the newly created green biodiverse space will be accessible to the public with a cycle path for the local community to make use of.

In line with this, CyrusOne has also committed to a long term Landscape Ecological Management Plan which will ensure maintenance and continued public access to the space for a minimum of 25 years.

The company’s proposal ultimately aims to respond to the needs of the local community and provides a range of benefits, as part of a £1.2 billion (US$1.62bn) investment into the local and national economy.

Part of the plans also include a training centre with industry-specific facilities for employees and students, as part of a pledge to develop specialist skills. This also extends CyrusOne’s partnership with UTC Heathrow to improve economic and educational opportunities for the local and wider area.

“We’ve been working hand-in-hand with Apt, Atelier Ten, Cameo Landscape Architects, HDR, Ramboll, Cratus, Montagu Evans and Radcliffes Environmental on the proposals and designs, alongside Longcross Land, who provided investment guidance,” Matt explains. “It’s been a fantastic experience collaborating with industry leading firms aligned to our sustainability and community focused vision, and we look forward to seeing the plans come to life. 

“Additionally, we’ve received support from HM Treasury, the UK Department of Business & Trade (DBT), Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and the Office for Investment (OFI) which has been critical in progressing with the project and reaching this important milestone.”

Supporting digital growth in the UK

The news comes as the country desires to become a leader in AI infrastructure, which involves speeding up the delivery of new data centres to support digital innovation. 

As a whole, the UK has seen strong growth in its data centre development in recent months, which has been largely due to facilities being classified as critical national infrastructure (CNI) by the government. 

Matt adds: “As demand for digital services continues to accelerate, larger facilities are necessary to provide the economies of scale that customers need, while also ensuring maximum functionality and mitigated risk of downtime. 

“The UK market enables us to respond to these requirements, and we look forward to continuing our expansion and supporting the Government to establish the UK as a centre of excellence in digital services for technology innovation.”

Across Europe, data centre demand is expected to continue booming, rising from 10GW in 2024 to roughly 35GW by 2030. AI has been cited as the critical cause of such a surge, as the technology consumes significant levels of power and energy to run. 

According to projections by McKinsey, power demands will rise from the current 62 terawatt-hours (TWh) to more than 150 TWh – tripling data centre energy use by 2030. This highlights the importance of upgrading infrastructure and improving access to renewables.

Speaking about the new CyrusOne facility, Secretary of State for Science Peter Kyle comments: “This fantastic new facility will help to power many of our online tasks, from navigating with online maps, to messaging and shopping online and we are committed to growing this vital infrastructure and giving the UK the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century.

“Through our AI Opportunities Action Plan, we promised to transform these digital powerhouses into platforms for progress, creating jobs and unlocking breakthroughs that will benefit people across the country. 

“As a result of this new facility in Buckinghamshire, local people will benefit from the creation of 540 long term new jobs, including roles in engineering, sustainability and security, and over 30 apprenticeship opportunities for young people – turbocharging economic growth in the area and helping us deliver on our Plan for Change.”

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