Netwise has expanded its London East (NLE) data centre, securing full operational control of the south side of the Datapoint estate and adding roughly 12,000ft² of additional space
The expanded capacity comes as the company prepares for continued growth in demand for capacity in London. To secure the capacity, the company has taken over Units 5, 6 and 7 on the Datapoint estate, increasing the total NLE footprint to around 38,000ft². Once all active data halls are fully deployed, the site is expected to accommodate approximately 500 racks.
Unit 7 joins earlier phases at London East – Unit 6 (Phases 1 and 2) and Unit 5 (Phase 3), the latter still under development. Initial refurbishment works are already underway in the newly acquired space, including changes to enlarge the front compound and the installation of perimeter security to Netwise’s specifications.
This latest deal comes around 12 months after work began on the first expansion project at NLE (Phase 3), which is due to see initial completion and client occupation in 2026, when Data Hall 5 comes online. The modular rollout of that expansion is expected to continue into 2027 with the commissioning of Data Hall 6.
Preparing for high-density workloads
Plans for the internal fit-out of Unit 7 are still being finalised. Early stage proposals focus on two additional data halls – 7 and 8 – which are expected to be designed as high-density spaces aimed at workloads from high performance computing (HPC) and AI/ML, particularly inference applications that benefit from edge locations in key markets.
Total power delivered to the site is set to be significantly increased to support the extra capacity, although final figures have yet to be disclosed.
Matt Seaton, Director at Netwise, noted, “This is an incredibly exciting time for Netwise, as we deploy further space at our flagship London East facility. The demand for high-quality data centre space in London only continues to grow, so ensuring we have maximum availability at all times – for existing and emerging deployment trends – is vital.”
Full control of the Datapoint south side
With the addition of Unit 7, Netwise now has full operational occupation and control over the south side of the Datapoint estate, with both buildings on either side of the active facility forming part of the London East footprint. That brings the entire freestanding building, its perimeter and external areas under Netwise’s authority.
According to the company, the London East footprint has grown by nearly 200% since Phase 1 began in 2020, reflecting the pace at which demand for space in London’s data centre market has increased.
Matthew Butt, Managing Director at Netwise, added, “Our aim has always been to take full control of the south side of the Datapoint estate. Adding Unit 7 to the London East footprint sees this plan through, giving us maximum flexibility over where we take the next chapter of the London East story. We’re extremely excited to see continued growth here at our flagship London data centre. With Netwise turning 16 this December, we have much cause for celebration.”
