£61 million data centre to open in Salford

Equinix, a global leader in digital infrastructure, has announced the construction of a new data centre to be located in the Agecroft Commerce Park in Salford, Manchester, UK. Equinix has committed to a £61 million investment in the new facility, their fifth in the region.

The MA5 International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre is projected to be fully operational by the middle of next year. The Equinix Manchester data centres are business hubs for more than 285 companies, offering approximately 80,000 square feet of colocation space across the city. Equinix has positioned its facilities in Manchester to build a low-latency direct connection to LINX, the London Internet Exchange.

Specifications for the new data centre include matching Equinix industry-leading average uptime of 99.9999%. Certification targets include ISO 22301, ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2, Green By Design, and more. The new facility is also expected to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2023.

The facility itself will include 28,000 square feet of colocation space, with UPS redundancy of 3+1 and standby power configuration of 3+1, with 2.5 MVA diesel engines. Security precautions include physical mantrap entry, 24/7 onsite security, electric card and biometric readers, CCTV and motion detection.

George Freeman, UK Science and Innovation Minister, said:“The UK is one of the world’s most digitally advanced economies. Through government and industry working together we are investing in new 5G and next-generation digital technologies to support UK businesses to build back better from the pandemic.

“Equinix’s new Manchester data centre will not only help to create well-paying jobs across Manchester and the wider north west but will also make sure businesses have the digital technology needed to succeed and grow in global markets.”

Earlier this week, Equinix launched a data centre in Osaka, Japan. Also an International Business Exchange, the new Osaka facility will include 33,000 square feet of colocation space in phase one, with another 55,000 square feet to be added when the buildout is completed.