Dataglow Energy Data Center Project

Status: Planning Permission Pending / Development Phase   |   Location: Land south of London Way, Melbourn, Royston SG8 6DJ, UK

Project Overview

The Dataglow Melbourn Data Centre, part of the wider Melbourn Energy Superloop, is a specialized low-carbon colocation facility planned for land south of London Way, Melbourn, Royston SG8 6DJ, UK, in South Cambridgeshire. Developed by Dataglow Melbourn Limited, with backing from Octopus Energy Generation and an operating partnership involving Deep Green and aql, the project is designed around an integrated approach that combines digital infrastructure with local renewable energy and community heating. The facility is planned as a compact single-story data center measuring approximately 50 metres by 30 metres, providing around 1,500 square metres, or approximately 16,145 square feet, of floor space. Rather than treating waste heat as a by-product, the project is designed to make recovered heat a central component of its energy strategy. The data center will use liquid cooling systems to capture heat generated by IT equipment and transfer that thermal energy into an underground district heating network. This recovered heat is intended to provide low-carbon thermal energy to nearby homes, schools, and other community buildings in Melbourn, creating a direct connection between data center operations and local energy demand. The facility is also planned to operate alongside nearby renewable generation, including solar farms, helping strengthen the low-carbon characteristics of the wider Melbourn Energy Superloop. By combining colocation services, liquid cooling, renewable electricity, and heat recovery, the development represents an alternative model for data center infrastructure in which computing facilities can contribute to local energy systems rather than operating as isolated electricity consumers. The project therefore highlights how smaller, community-integrated data centers can support digital infrastructure requirements while also contributing to decarbonization, energy efficiency, and local heat supply.

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