Construction of the KAO Data London One data centre in the Harlow Enterprise Zone, is entering its final phase. Switch rooms are virtually complete and powered up and UPS generators and battery racks are online. To minimise any risk of human error with the electrical systems, the three distributed redundant systems from 11kV to rack are colour coded – Feed A is Amber, Feed B is Blue and Feed C is Cyan. Data halls are nearing readiness for hardware and outside, the landscaping project is underway.

KAO Data London One is due to become operational by the end of 2017. It is the first of four planned data centres that will comprise the KAO Data Centre Campus, on the 36-acre KAO Park development.

Fittingly, the new campus in the Harlow Enterprise Zone is on the exact site synonymous with pioneering discoveries in telecommunications. In the 1940s it was the birthplace of the wartime navigation system OBOE, invented by Alec Reeves and in 1966, engineers Charles Kao and George Hockham made one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in the post war era. By discovering how to transmit light over long distances using optical glass fibres, their discovery changed global communications forever and paved the way for a host of modern innovations, including broadband internet.

Each building in the £250 million KAO Data Centre Campus will be split into four halls, totalling around 150,000 square feet of net technical space. Each technology suite will be capable of supporting a 2,175kW IT load, representing a total technical load of 8.7MW per data centre. JCA has worked closely with power utility contractor Matrix Networks, which has installed the UKPN adoptable 33kV/11kV 43.5MVA sub-station, that’s providing the capacity to support the whole campus.

Ian Jackson, Chairman of JCA, commented:

“Over the past 13 years, JCA has built a reputation for excellence in its core marketplace, which has enabled the business to win a range of new, large-scale engineering projects, involving design, planning, build, procurement, installation and maintenance of critical infrastructure. We were delighted to be appointed by KAO Data for the delivery of KAO Data London One which is on schedule for completion before the end of this year.”

Paul Finch, Chief Technical Officer, KAO Data, said:

“The discovery of fibre optic technology on this site fifty years ago, has been fundamental to the world’s economic development. The KAO Data Campus encapsulates this legacy and reaffirms the UK’s position as a global business hub. We are proud to be working with JCA Engineering on London One, which aims to deliver market leading efficiency. Our technical infrastructure will provide the highest standard of data resilience and operational sustainability, making it ideally placed to support local and international businesses.”