#65 Data Centre Realities with Alan Pritchard, FarrPoint

In this episode of the Connectology podcast, Connectologist® Pete Aston sits down with Alan Pritchard from FarrPoint to explore the booming world of data centres – the hidden infrastructure powering everything from cloud services to artificial intelligence.

Alan explains what data centres are, why they've suddenly become headline news, and how they've grown from anonymous grey boxes to critical national infrastructure. He shares insights into the sheer scale and cost of these projects – with a 100MW facility costing around £1 billion – and why the UK's total capacity is still just 1.5GW.

The episode covers:

• Why London became the UK’s data centre hub, and how Ireland’s low-tax policy turned Dublin into Europe’s hotspot
• The “three-legged stool” of land, power, and connectivity – with power the biggest challenge
• How AI is driving unprecedented demand, with government-backed “AI growth zones” building sovereign digital capability
• The future: renewable-powered facilities, new technologies, and the premium cost of sovereignty

Alongside this episode, we've released our Comprehensive Data Centre Report, which reveals that half of UK developers underestimate connection times by seven years — a gap that can make or break projects. The report also highlights barriers around grid access, energy pricing, and clean power investment.

👉 https://roadnighttaylor.co.uk/powering-great-britains-data-centre-ambitions/

Whether you're an energy developer, tech insider, or simply curious about the digital engines behind your smartphone and streaming services, this episode offers a fascinating and timely look at the future of digital infrastructure.