Daresbury supercomputing centre nears finish line
Main contractor Russell WBHO has entered the final construction stage on the Science & Technology Facilities Council’s £30m development.
The 33,000 sq ft building, developed to host the latest in supercomputing AI and quantum technologies, is on track to hand over this year.
Led by Russell, the commissioning of the centre’s components, systems and equipment is now underway. This five-month process will ensure all critical elements, such as the advanced cooling system and uninterrupted power supply, perform to the required standard.
The commissioning follows the installation of M&E infrastructure, which has been delivered by Russell working with data centre and infrastructure specialist Sudlows.
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“We’ve reached the most crucial and complex stage of the project,” said Jonathan Rhodes, project director at Russell WBHO. “Every system within the centre must be systematically tested to make sure all elements work together, and the risk of any fault is eliminated.
“In essence, this means the facility will be pushed to its design limits to demonstrate the required functionality, assuring the client it will operate as intended under any circumstances.”
The supercomputer is supported by the £210m Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation programme and will contribute to the Hartree Centre’s ongoing work with industry.
Home to some of the UK’s most advanced technologies in computing, data science and AI, the Hartree Centre’s supercomputing facilities are dedicated to industry applications. UK businesses can access specialist expertise and supercomputers, helping to accelerate productivity and reduce the time and cost of developing new products.
STFC’s Prof. Kate Royse, director of the Hartree Centre, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the Hartree Centre as our new supercomputing facility enters its final stages of development.
“This milestone represents the latest step in our mission to provide UK businesses with the infrastructure and expertise they need to thrive on a global scale.
“We are dedicated to creating an environment where UK science and industry can lead the way in global innovation. By helping businesses adopt advanced digital technologies such as AI, they will continue to drive productivity, accelerate growth, and create jobs.”
The supercomputing centre features a direct-chip water cooling system to prevent IT equipment from overheating. This combines with air-cooling chillers to efficiently dissipate heat throughout the building.
A host of transformers, generators, and UPS batteries ensure continuous power for M&E equipment with specialist electrical infrastructure in place to prevent downtime if one element fails.
In addition, said Russell, the building has been constructed to exceed building control requirements, with enhanced measures including a gas suppression system to the high voltage and low voltage (switch rooms as well as the battery rooms.
