Contractor named for Liverpool supercomputing centre

Manchester-based contractor Russell WBHO has been appointed to deliver a new £30M steel-framed supercomputing centre at Daresbury Laboratory in the Liverpool city region by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Russell WBHO is preparing to start work at the 6.2-acre site before the end of the year and the project will take approximately 21 months to complete.

The company secured the project following a competitive tender process under the Crown Commercial Services Framework.

Russell WBHO’s specialist team will manage construction of the 3,065m² building to house two data halls, which will require an atmosphere maintained at 21-24 degrees, and an office suite with ancillary facilities.

Nick Sunderland, Commercial Director for Russell WBHO, said: “We are extremely pleased to secure this contract with STFC for the new supercomputing centre at Daresbury Laboratory following a multi-way tender process via the Crown Commercial Services Framework.

“Our involvement through the planning and pre-construction phase, coupled with our in-depth knowledge of highly-specialist industrial and temperature-controlled facilities such as this, has enabled us to bring forward a viable budgeted programme to deliver this scheme.”