Pure DC Completes Final Transformer Installation at 90MW Brent Cross Data Center Ahead of Energization

Pure Data Centres has completed the installation of the third and final transformer at its LON01 campus in Brent Cross, London, marking a critical milestone in the delivery of the 90MW facility. The completion of the substation work brings total capacity to 150MVA and sets the stage for energization expected later this month, a key step toward bringing the campus online to serve high-density AI inference and cloud workloads.

The three 75MVA transformers were supplied by Hitachi Energy and are designed to ensure stable and reliable power delivery to the campus's B1 and B2 buildings. Dedicated ductwork is already in place for the connection to B2, according to the company. The installation work presented unusual engineering challenges because the restricted space around the live LON01 substation ruled out the use of a conventional 500-ton crane. To overcome this, the project team designed and implemented a specialist gantry system with a lifting capacity of 1,000 tons, allowing the transformer to be moved safely into its permanent position.

The Brent Cross expansion has moved steadily from planning to construction. Pure secured planning permission last year and announced plans for the expansion earlier this year. Last month, the company commenced work on the second building at the site, with completion slated for the second quarter of 2029. The LON01 campus will feature closed-loop liquid cooling to support high-density AI inference and cloud workloads, and B2 will also house one of the world's largest living walls, featuring more than 750,000 plants.

The milestone underscores the growing pressure on data center operators to secure large-scale power infrastructure in urban markets where space is constrained and grid connections are increasingly difficult to obtain. Pure, established in 2015 and backed by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, currently has more than 500MW of IT capacity in operation or development across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with projects live and in development in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Abu Dhabi, Madrid, Jakarta, and Seinäjoki. The energization of LON01 later this month will add a significant new block of capacity to one of Europe's most supply-constrained data center markets.