UK Datacentre Service Provider

RED was appointed to provide full technical design from concept for a new build data centre project in South East UK to deliver 32MW of IT load.  RED undertook the MEP design role for the project as well as the design for the ICT & acoustic services, HV Network & Substation Design and Energy & Sustainability Services.

The projects consists of a new building fitted out in three phases with modularised external electrical plant rooms to reduce program and maximise speed of delivery to market.  The (UTI) Tier III infrastructure will ultimately consist of 4 No. 2MW and 6 No. 4MW data halls. 

HV Network & Substation 

RED undertook planning of the incoming 132kV supply from the utility to the site and the 132/11kV substation, in order to provide up to 80MVA of power for a new data centre.  The first phase of project utilised existing 33/11kV supplies until the final phase of the project in providing a 132/11kV substation.  Following a pre-planning phase, RED produced a substation design package for issue for IDNO/ ICP specialist supply.

MEP Design

RED developed a scheme to optimise the speed of delivery of the site and maximise the PUE,  providing a  concurrently maintainable infrastructure with the ability to earn revenue by exporting electricity and offering demand side response service.  The data centre is to be built-up using a modular plant strategy based on power streams providing block redundant electrical distribution and dedicated compressor-less cooling to each data hall.

ICT & Acoustic Services

Flexible ICT infrastructure was required to accommodate the varying demands of different occupier profiles.  RED ICT worked closely with the client ICT stakeholder team to develop a technical architecture that accurately reflects the operational requirements for ICT service delivery.  The resulting strategy informed the production of RIBA Stage 3-4 design specifications, fully integrated with the building power & cooling, security systems and BMS/PMS solutions.

Key Facts

HV Network & Substation: 

• RED provided incoming HV power, parallel redundant (active/active) supplies from the utility to the development and also provided an on site 132/11kV substation which was compliant with utility standards, had segregated parallel redundant streams and had outgoing 11kV distribution to suit the development
• RED carried out electrical modelling including load flow and fault studies to incorporate the capability to export on-site generating capacity and then enable all utility connection applications to be completed
• RED’s  design enabled the run and standby HV supplies to be diversely routed to the mission critical buildings within the development

MEP solution included:

• Block redundant electrical infrastructure serving each 4MW of IT load
• Compressor-less cooling without the need for mechanical UPS
• Modularised electrical plant rooms and generators to minimise on site construction time.
• Emissions control of generation suitable for export
• Acoustic abatement of plant suitable for export

The ICT design package included:

• Fibre optic and copper data cabling systems and containment
• Integrated building access control, security systems
• Switched solutions in plant and utility pods
• Active LAN Ethernet switching for converged IP platform
• Underground campus fibre optic duct network
• RED ICT continue to represent the client in respect pf of site deign co-ordination and quality assurance