A new data centre is scheduled for construction in Manchester, equipped with the latest heat re-use technology to repurpose waste heat for local projects in the Wythenshawe area. The announcement about the new data centre, named MCR2, was made by Teledata, now under the ownership of Datum Datacentres, on Wednesday 24 January.
The innovative system will utilize heat exchangers to transfer the thermal load from the data centre’s cooling system to the local community through a heat pump system. This approach delivers waste heat to the surrounding area while also reducing the amount of electricity required to cool the data centre. Additionally, the MCR2 facility will be powered by renewable sources and equipped with solar photovoltaic (PV) roof panels, generating more than 83,000kWh per annum.
To accommodate the new facility, an existing building will be demolished. According to Teledata, the company is committed to developing a new, more modern, and energy-efficient facility next to its current data centre. Matt Edgley, the chief operating officer at Teledata, emphasized the company’s dedication to embedding sustainability principles at every stage of the MCR2 facility’s development.
Edgley stated, “As a data centre provider, we have a responsibility to our clients to ensure that continuous capacity is available and is delivered sustainably, supporting clients as they strive to meet their environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) targets. We hope to expand quickly enough to meet demand in the Manchester region, so that we can support our clients’ growth through resilient, secure and dependable data centre services and hosting solutions.”
The environmental impact of data centres has raised concerns due to their substantial energy demand. In response, initiatives have been taken to minimize the energy consumption of these facilities. For example, the Dutch government has imposed restrictions on the construction of new ‘hyperscale’ data centres and temporarily banned new projects of this magnitude for nine months in 2022.
In addition to Teledata’s efforts, other companies are also exploring similar technologies to reduce the climate impact of data centres. Deep Green, a tech start-up, has developed technology that transfers heat from inert oils surrounding the data centre through a heat exchanger. The company recently attracted a £200 million investment from Octopus Energy to further develop its heat re-use technology.
The incorporation of heat re-use technology into the new Manchester data centre marks a significant milestone in sustainable data centre development. As the demand for data storage and processing continues to grow, it is imperative to innovate and implement environmentally friendly solutions to minimize the impact of these facilities on the environment. With the adoption of heat re-use technology and the utilization of renewable energy sources, the MCR2 facility sets a new standard for sustainable data centre development that could serve as a model for future projects.
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