UK classifies data centres as critical national infrastructure

Data centres in the UK will now be classified as critical national infrastructure, joining sectors including emergency services, finance, healthcare and energy and water supplies.

The move, which was announced by the new Labour government, aims to boost support for data centres with the aim of reducing the risks of disruption during major incidents such as cyberattacks, IT blackouts, and environmental disasters.

Data centres will be now part of the 13 sectors that currently fall under the category of ‘critical infrastructure’.

 It is the first Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) designation in almost a decade, since the Space and Defence sectors gained the same status in 2015.

The government said a new team of officials will be tasked to monitor threats and provide prioritised access to security agencies including the National Cyber Security Centre and will coordinate access to emergency services in the event of a serious incident.

The move comes as the government welcomed a proposed £3.75 billion investment in Europe’s largest data centre on Thursday, with plans having been submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council for construction in Hertfordshire by data company DC01UK.

The new plan will directly create over 700 local jobs and support 13,740 data and tech jobs across the country.

The new classification also aims to provide greater reassurances to the tech sector when setting up businesses in the UK and help generate economic growth. For example, new AI focused businesses are currently proliferating and require greate computing power at their disposal.

Data centres require vast amounts of electricity to power serves and maintain operations. This energy demand is growing rapidly with The IEA estimates that data centres accounted for between 1 per cent and 1.3 per cent of global electricity demand in 2022. This share is projected to rise to between 1.5 per cent and 3 per cent by 2026.

Many data centres also rely on nuclear power, natural gas and coal, resulting in high gas emissions and contributing to climate change.

The IT infrastructure facilities which store vital NHS, financial and personal smartphone data, for example, have been strongly criticised because of their significant energy and water consumption.

Despite these environmental concerns, Peter Kyle, technology secretary, said data centres represent “the engines of modern life” and reiterated the government’s commitments.