Registration and networking

8:30 AM

Registration and networking

9:10 AM

Welcome from Ben Hargreaves, Head of Content, DC: Demand  

Ben Hargreaves, DC: Demand
Ben Hargreaves

Advancing data centre development in the UK

  Chaired by: Venessa Moffat, Data Centre Alliance

9:15 AM

Keynote: Understanding the UK Digital Growth Plans 

  • What infrastructure is being developed in Tees Valley to facilitate UK Digital Growth Plans, and how is it being executed sustainably?   
  • How can data centres benefit from locating to these areas?  
  • Can the UK achieve a leading place in the AI race and become an AI maker, rather than a taker? 

Speakers include:

Mayor Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Combined Authority
Mayor Ben Houchen
9:30 AM

Keynote: The current state of play in the UK data centre sector 

  • How much actual demand is there for new data centres, and what does it look like? 
  • How can data centre developers work in tandem with government and the energy sector to help them achieve strategic targets? 
  • Are Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) guidelines right for data centres

Speakers include: 

Allan Bosley, Ark Data Centres
Allan Bosley
9:45 AM

Overcoming the connections conundrum: Equipping stakeholders and the grid to handle digital expansion

  • What steps are Ofgem and NESO taking to reform demand connections? 
  • How can data centres work with electricity networks to accelerate planning and connect to the grid? 
  • Is the grid ready for digital expansion? 

Speakers include:

James Whiteford, NESO
James Whiteford
10:00 AM

Questions and answers

10:10 AM

PANEL DISCUSSION: How do we make the UK an attractive market?  

  • Where is the UK positioned in the global digital infrastructure economy? 
  • How can we adapt current policies to ensure minimal risk for investors? 
  • What are the key blockers to data centre growth in the UK? 
  • How can we overcome energy costs to accelerate data centre investment? 

Panel includes:

David Frank, Microsoft
Emma Fryer, CyrusOne
Dominic Nash, Barclays
Liam King, Ofgem
Ethan Thornton, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
David Frank Emma Fryer Dominic Nash Liam King
10:55 AM

Refreshments break and networking

The morning splits into streams. Please choose between:

STREAM A: 
Overcoming the capacity conundrum

  Chaired by: Ben Hargreaves, Head of Content, DC: Demand 

11:20 AM

Unlocking grid capacity for data centre development 

  • Repurposing existing connections sites to speed up development 
  • Aligning available industry clusters with AI Growth Zones 
  • Can data centres leverage major industry closures to negotiate better energy costs? 

Speakers include:

David Adkins, National Grid
David Adkins
11:40 AM

Downsizing to gain the edge in power agreements

  • From planning to delivery: can edge data centres represent a shift in momentum to the planning process? 
  • How are edge data centres capitalising on smaller pockets of power available? 

Speakers include:

Phil Collerton, EdgeNebula
Phil Collerton
12:00 PM

From power connection to live operations: Using data network automation to drive faster deployment and AI readiness 

  • Optimising your data network to reduce energy consumption – and its benefit to connection applications 
  • Simplifying the complex configuration of Wide Area Networks (WANs) in edge data centres, and why this is becoming a more common challenge
  • How Apstra can accelerate time-to-operational and strengthen your credibility with the DNO to support the case for future capacity 
Richard Grainger, HPE
12:20 PM

Pivoting to future-proof digital infrastructure

  • Taking action to guarantee future security of supply for data centres 
  • How can the energy sector help data centres scale sustainably to accommodate AI models? 

Speakers include:

James Earl, Future Energy Networks
Eve Fensome, Stack Infrastructure
Katie Davies, techUK
Avi Aithal, ENA
James Earl Eve Fensome Katie Davies Avi Aithal
STREAM B: 
Data centres as an asset to the grid

  Chaired by: Venessa Moffat, Data Centre Alliance

11:20 AM

Leveraging data centres to provide grid resilience 

  • Connecting and operating data centres to manage grid capacity 
  • Championing partnerships and collaboration to ensure capacity in the grid 

Speakers include:

Liam Newcombe, GreenScale Data Centres
Liam Newcombe
11:40 AM

 Re-thinking the grid: how data centres are becoming part of the solution

  • Co-locating with power infrastructure to unlock capacity faster 
  • Supporting the growth of renewable energy 
  • Partnering with utilities to accelerate delivery in grid-constrained markets 

Speakers include:

Andreas Rathmann, CyrusOne
Andreas Rathmann
12:00 PM

Questions and answers 

12:10 PM

Harnessing data centres’ flexibility potential – can this be done by 2030?

  • Unlocking the capacity of data centres in balancing the grid 
  • Incorporating data centres into the distributed system 
  • Where are the opportunities for data centres to become active participants in flex markets? 

Speakers include:

Neal Kalita, NTT Global Data Centers
Steve Baker, ScottishPower
Andy Hackett, Centre for Net Zero
Neal Kalita

Networking lunch and exhibition

1:00 PM

Networking lunch and exhibition

Strategy planning and workshops:

  Chaired by: Ben Hargreaves, Head of Content, DC: Demand 

2:00 PM

Creating a cohesive plan to support the UK’s development of data centres  

In this interactive session, delegates will split into groups to discuss key challenges and mutually beneficial solutions to enabling data centre construction and the UK to be an AI exporter. Data centres will come together with energy networks, policymakers and key stakeholders to co-create and influence UK strategy.  

Topics:  

  1. Reforming the demand connections queue 

  • What key metrics should be considered when analysing demand connection applications? 
  • How can Ofgem and NESO establish a formula to determine the number of realistic applications? 

  1. Overcoming the cost of energy dilemma 

  • How can data centres adopt the tariffs applied to other energy intensive industries? 
  • How do we reform the UK’s national energy pricing model to incentivise AI investment in the UK? 

  1. Build your Digital Growth Zone 

  • Establish the key concessions required to maximise the chances of delivering on your growth zone’s promise 
  • Consider the fundamental needs for data centres and AI hyperscalers to ensure the right infrastructure and processes are in place to accelerate build and operations 

Refreshments break and networking

3:00 PM

Refreshments break and networking 

Aligning priorities to deliver effective digital growth:

  Chaired by: Ben Hargreaves, Head of Content, DC: Demand 

3:30 PM

Lowering energy costs for data centres

  • Understanding how prohibitive current energy costs are to data centre growth in the UK  
  • How much of an appetite is there for AI hyperscalers to locate to the UK amidst high energy costs?  
  • Can data centres’ energy costs be subsidised alongside other energy intensive industries? 
Spencer Lamb, Kao Data
Spencer Lamb
3:50 PM

FIRESIDE CHAT: Your timeline, or ours? 

  • Confronting the misalignment in project timelines between data centre developers, local authorities and network operators 
  • How much do missed deadlines cost, and how do we prevent them being moved at will? 
  • Development investment vs infrastructure investment: what do we prioritise? 

Speakers include:

Luisa Cardani, techUK
David Adkins, National Grid
Ozgur Duzgunoglu, Telehouse Europe
Luisa Cardani David Adkins Ozgur Duzgunoglu
4:30 PM

Closing remarks and end of DC: Demand UK

Speakers include:

Ben Hargreaves, DC: Demand
Ben Hargreaves

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