Equinix to build £61m data centre in Salford

Located in Agecroft Commerce Park, the International Business Exchange data centre is set to open in the first half of 2022.

Known as MA5, the nearly 143,590 sq ft facility will be Equinix’s fifth data centre in the area. Data centres are the physical location where data from the internet is both stored and processed and so plays a crucial role in the worldwide web experience. MA5 will provide users are to both store data and to connect to networks.

Equinix will convert and expand an existing warehouse to make MA5. The project will be done in stages, with the first phase creating 38,750 sq ft for colocation, which will hold servers that companies can rent. When finished it will have nearly 70,000 sq ft of space for colocation specifically. If built in line with Equinix’s goals to be carbon neutral by 2030, it will operate at least partly on renewable energy.

Another data centre, MA6, already has planning permission. Salford City Council approved an application for both MA5 and MA6 last year. According to that application, which was filed by Arup on behalf of Equinix, MA6 will be even bigger than MA5 with a proposed area of more than 255,270 sq ft.

Equinix said it chose the Manchester region to house its data hubs because of its “fast-growing technology scene” and “emerging start-up ecosystem”.

Manchester also has network routes to the United States and access to international subsea cables.

“With a rich industrial history, Manchester has long been one of the UK’s leading cities for business, catering to globally renowned companies and start-ups looking to grow and scale their operations,” said Equinix’s vice president of sales in the UK, Lorraine Wilkinson.

“MA5 will provide high-speed connectivity to the North of England, facilitating the next generation of digital transformation within the region,” she continued. “The new site will bring Equinix’s total investment in Manchester to over £130m, and £1bn+ in the UK’s digital infrastructure as a whole.”