BNP Paribas Real Estate has announced it has advised Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company®, on the acquisition of an 85-acre freehold site in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, from DC01UK.
The site, which benefits from full planning consent and a secured power connection, will become home to Equinix’s new “Hertfordshire Campus” – a 250+MW data centre development representing one of the largest and most strategically important digital infrastructure investments in the UK to date.
Equinix plans to invest £3.9 billion in the project, which will play a pivotal role in strengthening the UK’s critical national infrastructure and supporting the government’s ambition to lead globally in artificial intelligence. The Hertfordshire Campus will double Equinix’s data centre capacity in the UK, providing advanced compute and connectivity for customers across sectors including financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, entertainment, and the public sector.
Michael Umfreville, Head of Data Centres at BNP Paribas Real Estate, commented: “This landmark transaction represents a major milestone for the UK’s digital economy.
“Our longstanding relationship with Equinix has seen us advise on a number of strategic data centre transactions over the years – including real estate transactions in East and West London.
“This latest deal underlines both Equinix’s continued commitment to the UK and the importance of BNP Paribas Real Estate’s real estate advice as the client focuses on their data centre investment in driving national growth and resilience.”
Located adjacent to the M25 and A1(M) near London, the 85-acre site will ultimately deliver more than 2 million sq ft of technical space and is designed to operate be covered by on 100% renewable energy,. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, supporting around 2,500 jobs during the build phase and over 200 permanent roles once operational.
BNP Paribas Real Estate advised Equinix throughout the transaction, providing integrated land, valuation, and strategic acquisition advice to secure one of the UK’s most significant powered sites for data centre development.
The deal follows a period of record investment and development activity in the UK data centre market, driven by accelerating demand for cloud, AI, and hyperscale infrastructure.
BNP Paribas Real Estate’s dedicated Data Centres team will not be able to disclose further details relating to this project but continues to advise clients across multiple live projects nationwide, supporting operators and investors in delivering the next generation of sustainable digital infrastructure.
