Google has unveiled plans to broaden its data centre presence in the UK by establishing a fresh campus in Hertfordshire, situated just outside London.

In a recent announcement, the tech behemoth shared news of commencing construction on a new facility spanning 33 acres in Waltham Cross, located to the north of London.

In October 2020, Google acquired land in Broxbourne, expressing its commitment to invest $1 billion in the forthcoming project. While specific details regarding the facility’s location and specifications remain undisclosed, Google has affirmed that the site will be optimized for off-site heat recovery and is slated to be fully operational.

Ruth Porat, President and CIO at Alphabet and Google, said: “People and organisations worldwide rely on Google’s data centres daily for the digital services they use. The Waltham Cross data centre represents our latest investment in the UK and the wider digital economy at large.”

“This new data centre will help meet growing demand for our AI and cloud services and bring crucial compute capacity to businesses across the UK while creating construction and technical jobs for the local community. Together with the UK government, we are working to make AI more helpful and accessible for people and organisations across the country.”

Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister, said: “The UK is a fantastic place to invest, and Google’s $1 billion investment is testament to the fact that the UK is a centre of excellence in technology and has huge potential for growth.”

“Foreign investment creates jobs and grows all regions of our economy and investments like this will help to drive growth in the decade ahead. I will continue to back businesses to invest and innovate here in the UK.”

Cllr Lewis Cocking, Leader at Broxbourne Council said: “I am delighted that Google has chosen Broxbourne for its new data centre. This is a sign of Broxbourne’s growing importance as a hub for technology and innovation. Through this development and others, this part of the borough is attracting millions of pounds of investment which will improve the local economy and create thousands of jobs. The Council is committed to working with our partners to make this, and other developments, a great success for everyone involved.”