At first glance, the ingredients can appear straightforward: enough land, proximity to power, good connectivity and a supportive planning environment.

But proximity isn’t availability. Availability isn’t capacity. And capacity today doesn’t necessarily mean capacity when you need it.

The same applies across every layer of site selection.

A fibre route running nearby doesn’t automatically provide the diversity or capacity a development requires. A large parcel of land may bring planning, environmental or construction constraints. A market with strong demand may already have pressure on labour, equipment and supply chains.

Look at each factor independently and the opportunity can appear compelling.

Look at them together. Add time. And the picture can change considerably.

That is why site selection can’t simply be a search for locations that tick the right boxes.

The question isn’t whether the ingredients exist.

It’s whether they can come together, in the right configuration, at the right time, at a commercially viable cost.

Together, that’s a much higher bar.

And it’s the difference between identifying a site and identifying an opportunity.