Alternative building practices are crucial to unlocking AI infrastructure benefits

With AI capabilities developing at an unprecedented pace, the government has announced its AI Opportunities Action Plan, which aims to utilise the benefits of AI and support the government’s economic growth targets. To deliver the Plan, particularly the proposed £14bn worth of data centre hubs across the UK, sufficient, secure and sustainable infrastructure is needed, such as onsite support in the form of accommodation and workspaces. This is crucial to the Plan’s long-term success and sustainability.

The Plan has been developed to create opportunities for the UK to keep ahead of the global AI curve. One of its key benefits is the potential for economic growth through job creation and, backed by leading tech firms, the Plan is targeting £14bn worth of data centre projects set to create 13,250 jobs.

AI capabilities that would come from the Plan could also revolutionise public services, particularly the health and education sectors, which continue to be key focuses of central government. AI-driven technologies have the potential to solve problems, such as the NHS’ waiting list backlog of 7.5 million, and using alternative building practices to support the delivery of community diagnostic centres, which will form part of the solution, can help to achieve this ambitious target.

Another huge opportunity that the Plan presents is investment in significant computer technology advancement and data centres, the smooth delivery of which hinges on robust, sustainable and affordable onsite support.

However, there are concerns and potential barriers to the Plan’s success, such as the challenges facing infrastructure projects and energy production, supply and efficiency. The UK is facing a significant construction skills shortage which must be addressed in order to deliver the infrastructure necessary for the country’s AI revolution. The UK’s net zero aspirations are also a risk area and, in order for the Plan to be delivered without compromising the nation’s climate targets, sustainable building and energy solutions must be implemented. Further barriers to overcome include high energy pricing, potential restrictions to supply, planning inefficiencies, the government’s ability to create an attractive investment environment and transport links, specifically the need for better rail connectivity.

With so much potentially riding on the success of this Plan, the government must take every measure possible to keep sustainability and speed as primary considerations in any proposed solutions. It’s therefore imperative that alternative building solutions are considered to support the delivery and ongoing development of the Plan, especially the sizeable data centre buildout.

Offsite construction offers opportunities to meet sustainability targets for a number of reasons: manufacturing offsite increases efficiency, minimises waste and reduces site deliveries, reducing disruption caused by onsite traffic as well as the site’s environmental impact.

Modular solutions can also be used as part of construction programmes to provide low carbon, net zero in operation, site offices and welfare accommodation. As well as bringing sustainability benefits, high quality facilities and exceptional internal environments are essential in ensuring construction companies can attract and retain the skilled workforces that they need, as a positive work environment directly correlates with staff wellbeing and satisfaction. A quality internal environment creates a happy workforce, streamlined processes, high quality output, boosted efficiency and targets being met.

Innovative solutions, such as Performance Optimised Datacentres (PODs), are also growing in popularity and could simplify elements of the build process. These miniature data centres can be established in weeks, rather than months or years, reducing the cost of investment and carrying environmental benefits. In these models, the data centre is compartmentalised into smaller sections, meaning they are easier to cool down than one large room, so require less energy. PODs not only promise to enhance the AI Plan’s rollout, but are also suited to modular construction, due to their modular configuration.

The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan is a great opportunity for the country to stay ahead of the curve and

 capitalise on all the benefits AI has to offer. Where data centre buildout is concerned, the targets are ambitious, but by implementing appropriate onsite infrastructure support using modular solutions, as well as manufacturing as much as possible offsite, there’s no reason why the Plan can’t align with and complement sustainability targets, and succeed in the short and long term.

Article submitted by David Harris, CEO of offsite manufacturer, Premier Modular. 

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