Ark Data Centres (UK): Elstree Data Center

Elstree 1, part of the Ark Data Centres Elstree Campus, is located in the Elstree / Hertsmere region in the London metropolitan area. 

 This campus is designed to serve as a major hub in Ark’s London data centre portfolio, supporting cloud, enterprise, and hyperscale workloads. 

With the campus positioned near key road arteries (e.g. the A41 and the M25) and network infrastructure links, the location offers strong logistical and connectivity advantages for businesses serving London and greater UK markets. 

Ark plans to deliver up to 250 MVA of capacity from 2028 across multiple buildings in the Elstree campus, positioning it to become one of the largest data centre hubs in London. 

⚙️ Facility Highlights

• Modular and sustainable design using steel architectures to reduce waste and environmental impact 
• Cooling strategies include direct air cooling, indirect air cooling, and liquid-cooling systems depending on workload needs 
• Precision-engineered ambient air optimisers to maintain efficient thermal performance and low PUE 
• The campus is being developed with scalable deployment in mind, allowing phased build-out of multiple data centres within the same site 
• Strong emphasis on sustainability; designs aim to minimize carbon footprint and integrate efficient energy use 

🔐 Security & Compliance

• Multi-layered physical security is part of Ark’s design ethos, although specific features (e.g. biometric access, mantraps) are not publicly disclosed for Elstree 1
• 24/7 monitoring and surveillance expected, in line with Ark’s global security standards 
• Ark holds or aims to align with certifications such as ISO 27001, ISO 22301, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and ISO 9001, which apply to its data centre operations generally 
• Compliance with UK government and enterprise security protocols is implied, given Ark’s target customer base and operational positioning 

🌐 Connectivity & Carrier Access

• The Elstree campus is planned to be carrier-neutral, offering multiple fiber paths and interconnection options to tenants 
• The location’s proximity to London and its existing fiber infrastructure gives access to dense network ecosystems in the UK, including cloud and internet exchange connectivity 
• Customers can leverage Ark’s internal cross-connect and campus-level connectivity services to link to cloud and network providers
• Ark positions the Elstree campus to serve as a hub for cloud interconnect and high-speed, low-latency links across Greater London 

💼 Who It Serves

• Hyperscale and AI compute operators looking for robust capacity in the London region
• Enterprises and cloud providers needing scalable, high-density infrastructure near London
• Telecommunications and network operators seeking a London hub for interconnection
• Government, financial, and regulated sectors needing high security and compliance
• Customers with sustainability mandates who value low-carbon data centre design