MCDC Invests £250m In Data Centre Developments

Matterhorn Capital has formed a data centre division, MCDC, to oversee the £250 million investment to develop two “state of the art”sites in south east England.

Matterhorn, former owners of Olympia and Earls Court exhibition centres, said that it is building the centres in Bury Green, Hertfordshire, and Chesham, Buckinghamshire, because of the proximity of the City of London which it sees as the largest data centre market in Europe. MCDC said it expects to expand the current 180,000 square feet sites to 300,000 square metres by 2015.

State-Of-The-Art Technology

Using state-of-the-art technology will keep the PUE rating down for companies wishing to house their data outside the Greater London boundary. The sites are designed to meet a complete range of commercial needs, MCDC said, while providing clients with far greater efficiency, thereby reducing power requirements. The Bury Green site will be the first in the UK to host on-site power and MCDC said it is in discussion with a power provider for the Chesham site.

The investment, funded from the sale of the two London exhibition centres, is the first in 18 months in the UK, MCDC said, and marks Matterhorn’s move into new areas from its leisure, retail, commercial, and residential development roots.

John Lennon of MCDC said: “Matterhorn’s financial strength and property experience, combined with our sector knowledge, bolster our position as a strong UK player in the data centre market. Our investment in premium site locations, with state of the art resources, enables us to offer superior facilities in secure locations to a growing market.”

Mark Larard, director of the Data Centre Advisory Group, said, “The purchase of the Chesham and Bury Green sites by Matterhorn Capital could prove significant for the market going forwards. These two sites will account for over 180,000 square feet of technical space, which could provide a very critical niche in the market, at a time when there is little construction and growing demand.”