Manchester IBX Data Centers · Transition modelFACILITY

The site's primary dependency is grid electricity for IT load and cooling, with the GB grid currently at 217.41 gCO2/kWh (Ember 2025). Water-related physical risk is low: baseline water stress is Low-Medium (score 1.83, 10-20% label), overall water risk is Low (<25%, score 0.64), and coastal flood exposure is zero with only marginal riverine flood exposure (0.24). Drought score is moderate at 3.03, but water depletion (0.73) and untreated wastewater (0.16) scores are both low, indicating water is not a binding constraint at this location today. The dominant impact channel is therefore Scope 2 GHG emissions tied to grid electricity consumption rather than water withdrawal or physical hazard exposure.

By the 2030 horizon, GB grid intensity is projected to rise sharply to 100 gCO2/kWh under IEA WEO 2024 STEPS — worth noting this appears as an increase relative to the 2025 observed value of 217.41, meaning the 2030 figure actually represents a step-change decarbonisation to less than half current intensity, not a deterioration. Water-related forward-looking scores (2030/2050/2080 water stress and water depletion labels) are all null in the dataset, so no quantified shift in physical water risk can be evidenced through this horizon; the current Low overall risk rating should not be assumed to persist without updated projections.

The GB grid trajectory continues toward deep decarbonisation, reaching 30 gCO2/kWh by 2050 per IEA STEPS — an ~86% reduction from the 2025 observed baseline — which structurally de-risks the Scope 2 footprint of this energy-intensive IBX asset over the long run. No 2080 grid figure or long-horizon water stress/depletion data is available, leaving residual physical water risk at this Manchester site unquantified beyond 2050; given the current Low risk baseline and North Atlantic watershed context, absent contrary data the residual physical risk profile appears manageable but should be revisited as horizon water metrics become available.