Status: Under Construction / Fit-out (March 2026) | Location: Newport, Wales
Project Manganese represents a cornerstone investment by Microsoft in advancing the United Kingdom’s sovereign AI infrastructure, with a particular focus on regional economic transformation in Newport. As part of a broader £2.5 billion UK AI investment strategy, the project involves the redevelopment of the former Quinn Radiators factory site, positioning it as a flagship example of large-scale brownfield data center development. By repurposing an existing industrial facility within Imperial Park, Microsoft minimizes land-use change and accelerates deployment timelines while aligning with sustainability goals tied to reduced embodied carbon and infrastructure reuse.
Technically, Project Manganese is engineered to support next-generation AI workloads, with a design philosophy centered on high-density compute environments. As of March 2026, the structural shell of the primary facility has been completed, with ongoing installation of advanced liquid-cooling systems tailored for NVIDIA Blackwell-class GPU clusters. This cooling approach is critical for managing the thermal intensity of modern AI accelerators, enabling higher rack densities and improved energy efficiency compared to traditional air-cooled systems.
To meet the substantial power requirements of the campus, Microsoft has secured a direct connection to a nearby high-voltage substation, ensuring reliable, scalable electricity delivery. In parallel, the company is partnering with regional renewable energy initiatives across Wales to achieve 100% renewable energy matching, reinforcing its broader sustainability commitments while supporting the local clean energy ecosystem.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Project Name | Newport Wales Data Centre | Microsoft £2.5B AI-Ready Hyperscale Campus (200MW) |
| Location | Newport, Wales |
| Status | Under Construction / Fit-out (March 2026) |
| Project Type | National AI Infrastructure & Sovereign Cloud Node |
| Commissioning | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Total IT Load | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Total Capacity | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Tier Level | 🔒 Subscriber Intelligence |
| Header | Details |
|---|---|
| City Name | Newport |
| Population | ~160,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~310,000 (Newport urban area & surrounding South Wales region) |
| Economic Profile | 🔒 Detailed city intelligence available to subscribers |
Developer, operator, infrastructure partners, contractors and engineering.
Power capacity, redundancy, cooling, connectivity, PUE and energy mix.
Announcement, construction start, go-live and full buildout.
Total project investment and funding intelligence.
Subscribe to our exclusive newsletter and get the latest insights on data center trends, market forecasts, and infrastructure innovations delivered straight to your inbox.