Datum Datacentres has launched its newest facility, MCR2, in the heart of Wythenshawe in Manchester, marking a milestone for both the company and the city’s £500 million regeneration initiative.
The Datum data centre, built in collaboration with Manchester City Council, is designed to support the city’s digital economy while playing a key role in the ongoing regeneration of the Wythenshawe area. Councillor Emma Taylor officially opened the site.
Cllr Emma Taylor said “Data centers are a critical part of our data infrastructure in Manchester and, as anchors for investment, play a really important part in supporting local growth. This multimillion-pound investment by Datum really demonstrates the confidence in the region, and I’m really excited for what the future holds. As someone who grew up just meters from the site of what is now MCR2, I’d like to thank the team at Datum for bringing a bit of life back into the fringes of Wythenshawe town centre”
MCR2 provides capacity for up to 1,200 racks, each supporting workloads of up to 30kW on dual circuits, backed by 2N resilience and a 100% power availability SLA. This high-density design reflects growing enterprise demand for colocation that can support AI training, high-performance computing, and hybrid cloud architectures. With a design PUE of 1.25, the facility also addresses rising pressure to reduce energy use and improve sustainability outcomes — a key factor in data centre procurement as ESG mandates tighten.
Security provisions include NSI Gold certification and an on-site police-linked Alarm Receiving Centre, underscoring the increasing importance of physical security in safeguarding digital infrastructure. These credentials position MCR2 to serve sectors with stringent compliance and uptime requirements, such as financial services, healthcare, and public sector workloads.
Matt Edgley, COO at Datum Datacentres said “From the outset, our vision for MCR2 was to set new standards in operational resilience and reliability, while embedding sustainability at its core. This facility stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering positive social and environmental change, supporting the local economy and playing an active role in the regeneration of Wythenshawe,
The facility was constructed in partnership with Keysource, part of Salute, with a brief to deliver best-in-class engineering and sustainability performance.
Jon Healy, managing director at Keysource, added: “It’s been great to deliver on another successful project with Datum Datacentres. We set out to challenge the status quo and drive the highest possible standards across the project design, construction, and sustainability. Collaboration between Datum and Keysource has been at the fore to deliver on key business drivers and is testament to our talented people involved. We look forward to the next project.”
MCR2 reinforces Manchester’s emergence as a digital infrastructure hub, bridging hyperscale requirements with regional regeneration goals. As data-driven industries expand across the UK, facilities like MCR2 offer not just technical capacity but the foundational infrastructure needed to attract and retain digital investment outside London. For Datum, the launch signals a broader commitment to sustainable, regionally distributed growth — aligning national expansion with local impact in one of the UK’s most ambitious urban transformation zones.
