Data pack · Updated 12 October 2026
How much data center capacity United Kingdom has installed, how it compares with the rest of Europe, and what our trackers show about its sites, operators, deals and rules.
United Kingdom data center capacity at a glance
United Kingdom had about 1.9 GW of installed data center capacity (IT load) at the end of 2025, by our estimate. That is about 12% of the capacity in Europe and puts United Kingdom at number 5 of the 26 countries in our global model. Our Data Center Tracker holds 181 sites in United Kingdom run by 48 operators: 130 operational, 7 under construction and 44 planned. Our trackers also hold 17 verified deals and 9 government measures in force for the country.
Installed capacity is IT load, the power available to servers, storage and network. The country figure comes from the same model as the global and regional totals and is benchmarked against dated public figures. Site figures below are what each source states, often a campus’s full build-out, so they are not the same measure.
What our tracker holds for United Kingdom
Largest tracked sites
| Site | Operator | City | Status | MW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsham Tech Park | Elsham Tech Park Ltd (Greystoke) | Elsham | Planned | 1,000 |
| QTS Cambois | QTS | Blyth | Planned | 720 |
| Cato (Auchtertool) | ILI Group | Auchtertool | Planned | 600 |
| Ravenscraig AI Data Centre | Apatura | Motherwell | Planned | 550 |
| Humber Tech Park | Humber Tech Park | South Killingholme | Planned | 386 IT |
| Apatura Coldstream | Apatura | Coldstream | Planned | 300 |
| Apatura Larbert (Glenbervie) | Apatura | Larbert | Planned | 300 |
| SDC M40 Campus (Wapseys Wood) | Slough Holdings UK | Gerrards Cross | Planned | 300 IT |
| Westerhill Data Centre Campus | Apatura | East Dunbartonshire | Planned | 300 |
| Equinix Hertfordshire Campus | Equinix | South Mimms | Planned | 250 |
Where the sites are
| City | Sites | Operators | MW stated, live |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 28 | 11 | 52 |
| Slough | 27 | 8 | 150 |
| Manchester | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Hayes | 8 | 3 | 52 |
| Hemel Hempstead | 5 | 2 | 52 |
| Reading | 4 | 3 | 19 |
| Harlow | 4 | 1 | 18 |
| Edinburgh | 4 | 2 | 7 |
Cities with the most tracked sites. MW only where a source states it.
Who runs them
| Operator | Sites | MW live | MW pipeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apatura | 7 | n/a | 2,100 |
| Elsham Tech Park Ltd (Greystoke) | 1 | n/a | 1,000 |
| QTS | 1 | n/a | 720 |
| ILI Group | 1 | n/a | 600 |
| Humber Tech Park | 1 | n/a | 386 |
| Slough Holdings UK | 1 | n/a | 300 |
| Equinix | 15 | n/a | 250 |
| Virtus Data Centres | 11 | 97 | 145 |
Operators ranked by MW stated at their tracked sites in United Kingdom.
Power context
- Grid emission factor, 20260.154 kgCO2/kWh · DESNZ Greenhouse gas reporting conversion factors 2026: methodology report
- Industrial power price, 2026233.7 USD/MWh · DESNZ Quarterly Energy Prices September 2026
- Renewable share of electricity, 202552.1 % · DESNZ Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2026
Rules in force
- RegulationThe Infrastructure Planning (Business or Commercial Projects) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- IncentiveNorth East AI Growth Zone
- PlanUK Compute Roadmap
- GridCMP434 Final Decision (TMO4+ connections reform)
- PlanAI Opportunities Action Plan and government response
From government sources. Power and policy in United Kingdom
Recent deals
- Sep 2026 · FinancingNscale (AI cloud platform and data center operator), USD 3.4 bn
- Sep 2026 · FinancingVIRTUS Data Centres UK and European portfolio (incl. 78MW Saunderton campus, LONDON19 Slough), USD 3.2 bn
- Sep 2026 · Land / campus14MW of AI-ready capacity at Green Mountain LON-East campus, Romford, 14 MW
- Aug 2026 · FinancingDataVita DV1 expansion and new DV3, North Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone, USD 406 m
- Aug 2026 · Land / campusAI capacity at Vantage CWL1 campus, Newport (South Wales AI Growth Zone)
- Aug 2026 · M&AAVK Power Solutions (UK data center power/microgrid provider), USD 1.0 bn
Other countries in Europe
- Germany3.0 GW
- Netherlands1.5 GW
- Ireland1.4 GW
- France1.2 GW
- Italy0.8 GW
- Spain0.5 GW
- Sweden0.5 GW
- Norway0.5 GW
Installed capacity, end 2025, DC Market Insights estimate. All countries and regions
United Kingdom in the full data pack
By year to 2035
Installed MW for United Kingdom from 2020 to 2035, in the same model as the global and regional totals, with low, base and high cases.
Leading hubs
Live and pipeline MW for the main metro markets, with the basis of each figure.
Every tracked site
The full site list with operator, location, status, MW and source, refreshed from our tracker.
Frequently asked questions
How much data center capacity does United Kingdom have?
We estimate about 1.9 GW of installed data center capacity (IT load) in United Kingdom at the end of 2025, about 12% of Europe and number 5 of the 26 countries in our model. This is a DC Market Insights estimate, benchmarked against dated public figures.
How many data centers are there in United Kingdom?
Our Data Center Tracker lists 181 sites in United Kingdom (130 operational, 7 under construction, 44 planned), run by 48 operators. Each site is verified from operator, planning or utility sources; the list grows as new sites are confirmed.
Which companies have the most tracked data center capacity in United Kingdom?
By capacity stated at their sites (operational plus pipeline), the largest in our tracker are Apatura, Elsham Tech Park Ltd (Greystoke), QTS. Site capacity is counted only where a source states it.
What rules apply to data centers in United Kingdom?
Our Power and Policy Tracker lists 9 government measures in force for United Kingdom, such as incentives, tariffs, grid rules and national plans, each linked to the official source.
How will United Kingdom data center capacity grow to 2035?
The full data pack gives installed capacity for United Kingdom by year from 2020 to 2035, in the same model as the global and regional totals, with low, base and high cases and the main metro hubs.