Majenta x Bentley: How visual planning and digital twins accelerate data centre builds
The surge in data centre construction in the UK to meet projected demand (and secure computing and data sovereignty) is inextricably linked to its energy strategy. With investment flowing into nuclear, including SMRs and Great British Energy, hyperscalers are following. That brings a new set of expectations. On-time delivery isn’t just a strategic advantage; it’s a commercial necessity.
On our recent Majenta x Bentley podcast, David Ayeni, Global Director of Infrastructure Cloud Partner Experience at Bentley, joined Majenta Director Simon Ordish and Customer Success Executive Priya Flora to discuss the digital solutions that are reducing the time-to-market for new data centre projects.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation
“If we are going to be investing in SMR programmes, Great British Energy, etc., of course, the hyperscalers are going to invest here in the UK because that’s smart money.”
—David Ayeni
At the system level, data centres and nuclear power form a feedback loop of demand and supply. Data centres rely on electricity, and nuclear facilities are the most sustainable option for generating power at the scale needed to support projected growth in the data centre ecosystem. With hyperscalers projected to own 61% of data centres by 2030, time-to-market directly impacts compute capacity and revenue.
“For these hyperscalers, time is money. Some of the ROIs for the large data centres can be a matter of eight, nine, ten months.”
—Simon Ordish
Visual planning—4D scheduling tied to the live model—has become the common language for owners, designers, and constructors. It aligns path of construction, logistics, and productivity tracking before boots hit the ground. Once seen as a tool for the privileged few, it’s now business as usual. On data centre projects, 4D runs as a live planning cadence, with fortnightly updates in Synchro. This shift has elevated 4D from a bid asset to a central operating system for delivery, catching sequencing errors early and reducing rework.
“What we're finding more and more is that that initial 4D model is refined and taken forward into the actual delivery of the data centre project. It's used as a central planning tool now.”
—Simon Ordish
For Bentley, the most important element of the tech stack is the iTwin. Being able to federate any 3D type native file into one model means understanding clashes before they happen, but also, the twin can be enriched over the project lifecycle. Changes in the 3D model prompt the twin to update alerts, resync with the schedule and update resources, quantities, etc. The operations case is strong: digital twins enable predictive control and efficiency gains with a near real-time understanding of the asset as it’s being built. And owners get an operationally ready twin at handover.
“Just having the digital twin alone improves efficiency by 30 per cent… you’re able to make predictive adjustments before you even go to operation.”
—Priya Flora
Looking ahead, the path from 4D to 5D and 6D is about data quality, not buzzwords. Cost (5D) and carbon (6D) dimensions become trustworthy only when appropriately governed. That’s where Majenta’s information management services come in—specifying the right information via ISO 19650, integrating it into CAFM and the twin, and avoiding the trap of bloated, low‑value data requests. And with strict NDAs and sensitive programmes, robust data security is non-negotiable.
“It’s all about security, data security, data sovereignty. In the end, if the market is demanding advancement in digital technologies, if you don't do it, you're going to get left behind.”
—David Ayeni
For UK owners and delivery partners, our panel’s recommendation is unanimous. Start now – piloting 4D in combination with a federated twin. Track and measure schedule and cost indices carefully. Then scale what works. That doesn’t have to mean a substantial upfront investment. At Majenta, we enable clients to harness the benefits of 4D and digital twins without incurring capital expenditures on software, skills, or infrastructure.
If you’re looking to de-risk and improve the predictability of your data centre projects – listen to the full Majenta x Bentley conversation, or get in touch with one of our team via the link below.
