Colt DCS Welwyn Data Centre

Colo-X analysis

Since opening with the first 650kW phase in 2007, Colt’s Welwyn Garden or London North data centre has seen significant expansion, especially since Europe’s hyperscale boom began in 2015.

Colt are now focussed around delivering 500 sq m halls at a high density of 3kW per square metre or 1.6MW per data hall and once the site is completely built out will have 30 halls active and around 40MW of customer load (with the earlier halls offering lower densities).  8 fibre networks on site.  Colt acquired the freehold in 2010.

Rack space and part racks available through Colt partners.  Overall an impressive facility for the north of London market, being 8 miles north of the M25 or 20 miles north of Central London with fast train links to the capital (30 minutes to Kings Cross) but the vast majority of capacity is now tied up with the larger hyprescale tenants.

Colt DCS Welwyn facility description

Located 1 mile due east of Welwyn Garden City’s mainline railway station, Colt began operations in this former 200,000 square foot Somerfield (a UK super market) distribution depot on Black Fan Road in 2007, with an initial 500 square metre conversion now known as The Lodge. They then went on to develop two larger halls each of 1000 sq m or 3MW before formulating a modular build plan around 500 sq metre data halls, of which up to 30 are now possible with numbers 27 and 28 due in 2020.

Power density per hall has risen from the first designs of 725kW to an impressive 3MW for the newest builds. Each data hall is paired on a ground- and first-floor layout with dedicated plant per pair of halls and a general design PUE of 1.2, with a shift away from water-based cooling towards adiabiatic/free air cooling as the site has evolved since 2007. Whilst the site will reach capacity fairly soon it is understood the two first data halls will soon be refurbished, so providing significant further capacity.

Colt have tended to sell the facility on a wholesale basis to a few very large tenants, including a one hyperscale tenant believed to be Microsoft, but Colt of course will not confirm.  Other tenants include financial services customers from Colt’s historic links with the City of London such as CMC Markets.

For smaller users looking for individual racks, half or even quarter racks options are available, so offering access to this impressive facility. Ask Colo-X for pricing.

All usual accreditations including ISO27001, 14001, 9000 and Uptime Institute Management and Operations Certificate.

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