A proposed £3.75 billion investment in Europe’s largest data centre has been announced as the UK government moves to class data centres as Critical National Infrastructure. 

Plans have been submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council for the construction in Hertfordshire of the facility by data company DC01UK, which will directly create over 700 local jobs.

Meanwhile the CNI designation for data centres is the first since 2015, when the space and defence sectors gained the same status.

It means the data housed and processed in UK data centres – from photos taken on smartphones to patients’ NHS records and sensitive financial investment information – is less likely to be compromised during outages, cyber attacks and adverse weather events. 

Putting data centres on an equal footing as water, energy and emergency services systems will mean the data centres sector can now expect greater government support in recovering from and anticipating critical incidents.

CNI designation will, for example, see the setting up of a dedicated CNI data infrastructure team of senior government officials who will monitor and anticipate potential threats, provide prioritised access to security agencies including the National Cyber Security Centre, and coordinate access to emergency services should an incident occur.

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“Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe,” said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.

“Bringing data centres into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with the government against cyber criminals and unexpected events.

“The huge £3.75 billion private investment announced today in Hertfordshire is a vote of confidence in those plans and a clear example of my determination to ensure technological advancements are helping to grow our economy and create wealth across the country.”

Earlier this summer, an outage at American cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected 60% of GP practices. The disruption to software holding patients’ appointment details, prescriptions and health records showed the catastrophic impact of IT and cyber threats on people’s lives.

Currently, the UK is home to the highest number of data centres in Western Europe. 

Matthew Evans, director of markets and COO at techUK, said: “techUK welcomes the government’s pivotal decision to designate the data centres sector as Critical National Infrastructure and the recognition of the critical role they play in the UK’s modern economy.

“Data centres are fundamental to our digitising economy and are a key driver of growth. We look forward to collaborating closely with the government and our stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of these new measures and their impact on the sector. 

“Continued engagement and partnership will be key in advancing our shared objectives of a secure, resilient, and thriving digital economy.”

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