Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising all aspects of our lives and society including how we work and how we learn. Recognising their potential to power UK economic growth, the Government has designated data centres as critical national infrastructure (CNI) alongside energy, water and emergency service systems.

In the next 12 months roughly 100 new data centre projects are expected to get underway across the UK, according to construction research firm Barbour ABI. AI and cloud computing demands are also behind the drive towards hyperscale facilities – larger data centres with power capacities that be 50 megawatt (MW) to several hundred MW in size.

One of the biggest investment announcements is by Microsoft, which has pledged to invest £22 billion in AI infrastructure and ongoing operations across the UK through to 2028, citing growing AI demand from the likes of Barclays, the NHS, the London Stock Exchange Group, Vodafone, Unilever and Wayve.

Critical hardware and components data centres rely on

Data centres are vast warehouse-type buildings that house computing hardware, including servers that run applications and process data, storage systems, as well as networking equipment, like routers and switches, plus various appliances needed for data centre operations and back-up power (uninterruptible power – APC) for power continuity. Like an arterial system, cables are essential for conveying data and power.

Even a smaller hyperscale facility of around 50 megawatt (MW) can require tens of thousands of cables. Connected to individual servers within racks, these critical electrical components (Amphenol) serve as conduits through which data travels between servers, switches, routers and storage systems.

High quality cables and components, with proper shielding, that meet required standards, sourced from reputable brands and manufacturers, ensure reliability and minimise faults, reducing data centre operational costs overall.

Data volume, transmission speed and other factors can all influence choices of specific cable type and have an impact on overall operational performance of the data centre. While good maintenance practices that include monitoring and timely repairs can help minimise down time and faults of these critical components, contributing to overall data centre uptime.

Global race for digitalisation infrastructure expansion

There are just under 500 operational data centres today in the UK and this number could increase by a fifth within a few years. Moreover, it is part of a global trend of digitalisation infrastructure expansion, driven by the demand for AI and computing capacity.

In this race to build out data centre infrastructure, stakeholders in these projects and their supply chain partners need to be assured that essential electrical components are readily available, even when demand is high.

It is essential to work with trusted suppliers with the reach and scale to meet demand for high-quality components to mitigate supply risk and ensure orders can be met on time and projects stay on track.

One partner for essential electricals

RS supplies essential electrical components, including specialist cables for data centres, providing customers with orders and support from its nationwide network. Thanks to its global sourcing strategy the company’s breadth of offering meets most data centre requirements. The range includes network connector cable assemblies (IX) and connectors (ORV) from Harting, data cables from Lapp’s UNITRONIC series and control cables from Lapp’s ÖLFLEX CLASSIC range, edge connectors from Amphenol Communications Solutions and patch leads from HellermannTyton.

Working with RS brings many benefits to data centre projects. Supply chain risk can be reduced through leveraging global supplier networks to source from RS’s range of 800,000 plus in-stock industrial and electronics products, from more than 2,500 partner suppliers. These globally recognised manufacturers and suppliers ensure access to the latest industrial and electronics products coming to market, meeting the evolving needs and requirements of the data centre industry. RS also offers a complete solutions suite, with services that seamlessly integrate with its products to help drive efficiencies and reduce costs. It means data centres can tap into expertise for solutions to technical challenges. With a nationwide network of centres and knowledgeable personnel, RS is primed and ready to support data centre projects across the UK, from the south-east to Scotland.