AVK to open UK PowerPods manufacturing facility

AVK, a provider of power systems and electrical infrastructure for data centres, has announced plans to open its first standalone UK manufacturing facility in Haydock, supporting production of modular power systems for data centres and AI infrastructure. The site, located in the Liverpool City Region, will assemble the company's modular low- and medium-voltage (LV/MV) PowerPods, which provide pre-engineered power infrastructure for data centres. AVK says the facility represents an initial investment of £3 million and forms part of its UK manufacturing strategy. The company expects the facility to create a range of skilled jobs during its first year, with further recruitment planned as production increases. Roles will include electrical and mechanical installation engineers, plant movement operatives, warehousing staff, graduate positions, and apprenticeships. AVK has also partnered with St Helens College to deliver work placements and Level 3 engineering apprenticeships. The programme will include electrical and mechanical training, with progression routes into higher engineering qualifications. Haydock was selected for its engineering heritage and transport links, with the site located close to Junction 23 of the M6 to support distribution across the UK and Europe. Facility investment brings manufacturing and engineering roles AVK says the new facility reflects increasing investment in the infrastructure required to support AI and hyperscale data centres. Simon Davis, Head of Production Modular Services at AVK, notes, "PowerPods complete our proposition to the data centre market, and Haydock gives us the dedicated home to build them at scale. This is a British business investing in British manufacturing and British skills, in a region with a proud industrial heritage. "The facility will strengthen the UK's ability to power the AI economy while creating real opportunities for local people, apprentices, and graduates for years to come." Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment, adds, "AVK-SEG’s investment in Haydock is a strong vote of confidence in UK advanced manufacturing and the Liverpool City Region, creating skilled jobs, boosting apprenticeships, and strengthening our role in powering the AI economy." George Woodward, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, similarly states that the investment demonstrates confidence in the borough's engineering heritage and will help create skilled employment while strengthening links between industry and education. For more from AVK, click here.

Kaytus launches all-QLC flash storage solution

Kaytus, a manufacturer of servers, storage systems, and data centre infrastructure hardware, has unveiled its All-QLC Flash Storage Solution at AI EXPO KOREA 2026, a platform engineered for ultra-large-scale AI training across clusters of 10,000-plus GPUs. As model sizes and agentic-AI workloads surge, Kaytus argues that the real bottleneck in modern AI infrastructure is no longer raw compute, but the storage layer feeding data to accelerators fast enough to keep them fully utilised. Built on an all-QLC flash architecture, the solution is designed to deliver the sustained throughput and high-density capacity that hyperscale AI clusters demand - reducing GPU idle time and improving overall training efficiency. Purpose-built for over 10,000 GPU clusters, the new architecture targets storage - not compute - as the decisive constraint on AI scale. The launch signals a broader shift in AI-era infrastructure priorities, placing high-performance storage at the centre of the conversation around scaling AI.

Verne agrees Arcus acquisition of Volta Data Centres

Arcus Infrastructure Partners, a London-based specialist infrastructure fund manager, has entered into an agreement to acquire Volta Data Centres from data centre provider Verne, adding a 6MW carrier-neutral colocation facility in central London to its digital infrastructure portfolio. The transaction, expected to complete in July 2026, will see Arcus acquire 100% of Volta Data Centres, which is currently operated as Verne's UK data centre. The facility provides colocation and interconnection services to customers in the financial services, telecommunications, IT, and enterprise sectors. Located near the City of London, the site offers 6MW of capacity and features connectivity through more than 40 on-site carriers and over 1,200 cross-connects. Acquisition strengthens UK data centre presence The acquisition expands Arcus's presence in the colocation market, building on its existing investment in Portus Data Centres. According to the company, the UK market was identified as offering strong long-term potential due to growing demand and constrained supply. Charlie Scott, Senior Investment Director at Arcus, comments, "Volta is an excellent fit with our AEIF4 investment strategy, providing critical digital infrastructure at the heart of one of Europe's premier colocation markets. "The business stood out as a high-quality investment combining stable contracted revenues, an entrenched position in London's connectivity ecosystem, and a clear pathway for growth and commercial improvements, supported by an experienced site team. "Colocation has been a strategic focus for Arcus since 2024. We look forward to partnering with the Volta team to support the next phase of the business's growth and building on this entry point with further acquisitions." For Verne, the sale forms part of a broader strategy to focus investment on low-carbon, high-density data centre infrastructure across Northern Europe. Dominic Ward (pictured above), CEO of Verne, suggests, "This agreement is the right next step for the London data centre, its customers, and its team. Arcus has deep infrastructure experience and is well placed to support the site's next phase of growth. "For Verne, this is a strategic portfolio decision that allows us to focus our investment and expertise on low-carbon, high-density data centre infrastructure in the locations best suited to AI, high-performance computing, and other demanding workloads. We will work closely with Arcus to support a smooth transition." The transaction remains subject to the fulfilment of contractual requirements and is expected to complete during July 2026. For more from Verne, click here.

Barings extends Stockholm data centre lease

Alternative investment manager Barings has secured a 10-year lease extension with a global data centre operator at its Vanda 3 site in Kista, Stockholm, Sweden, while also obtaining an additional 30MW of power capacity to support future expansion. The agreement strengthens occupancy at the Vanda 3 asset and supports further data centre development as demand for power capacity continues to grow. Infrastructure work is already underway to connect the additional capacity to the site. Vanda 3 is a mixed-use site within Stockholm's established data centre cluster in Kista. Covering approximately 65,000m², it currently includes data centre, logistics, storage, and industrial space, with the unnamed global data centre operator occupying around 15,000m². Additional power supports future expansion The additional 30MW of capacity, secured through Ellevio, will enable the conversion of existing buildings for further data centre use, including space expected to become available in the future. It will also support additional development across the site. Barings is also seeking planning approval for a further 25,000m² of building rights in 2027, increasing the site's long-term development potential. Olli Forsman, Director, Transactions & Asset Management Nordics at Barings, comments, "The lease extension with the global data centre operator is a strong endorsement of Vanda 3's quality and long-term relevance as a data centre location. "Alongside this, securing additional power capacity is a pivotal milestone that significantly enhances the asset's ability to support further expansion. In a market where access to power remains a key constraint, this puts us in a strong position to support both existing and new operators looking to scale in Stockholm." Kristina Johnson, Senior Director, Nordics Asset Management at Barings, adds, "The combination of secured power, existing infrastructure, and development flexibility creates a compelling proposition for data centre operators and positions the asset well to capture future demand. "The Nordics is one of our preferred markets across a range of asset classes and capital profiles, and we will continue to explore all opportunities where we can create value on behalf of our partners."

Aston Martin launches AMR Network at technology forum

Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team has launched the AMR Network, a new platform designed to bring together its technology partners to collaborate on innovation, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing. The initiative was unveiled during the inaugural AMR Technology Forum at the team's AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone on 3 July 2026, ahead of the British Grand Prix, with Data Centre & Network News (DCNN) amongst the media in attendance. Senior representatives from technology partners including CoreWeave, Zscaler, Cohere, ServiceNow, Cognizant, Cognition, NetApp, Xerox, Arm, and Eight Sleep took part in panel discussions and media roundtables examining the growing role of AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing in Formula One (F1) and other industries. For the data centre sector, the event highlighted the increasing importance of digital infrastructure in supporting AI development, engineering simulations, data processing, and performance analysis. Discussions also explored how technologies developed for F1 are influencing wider enterprise computing and digital infrastructure strategies. The forum also featured Aston Martin Aramco's STEM Racing programme, with students attending a panel discussion focused on careers in motorsport and technology. AI infrastructure underpins F1 innovation As Formula One teams continue to increase their use of AI and data-driven engineering, the demands placed on cloud platforms, high-performance computing, cyber security, storage infrastructure, and networking continue to grow. The event demonstrated how collaboration between specialist technology providers is becoming increasingly important in supporting these workloads both at the track and within engineering facilities. Jefferson Slack, Managing Director, Commercial at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, says, "Formula One has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, but the pace of change we are seeing through artificial intelligence and advanced computing is unlike anything the sport has experienced before. "We're proud to welcome all our technology partners to the AMRTC for our first Technology Forum. Together, these organisations represent an extraordinary collection of expertise across AI, data, cloud computing, enterprise technology, security, and human performance. "The AMR Network enables us to continue those conversations throughout the season, creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration and thought leadership across our partner portfolio." The AMR Network forms part of a wider programme of events and industry discussions intended to encourage collaboration between Aston Martin Aramco and its technology partners throughout the F1 season.

Durata launches modular power infrastructure system

Durata, a critical power and modular data centre infrastructure provider, has introduced PowerCore, a factory-built power infrastructure system designed to simplify the deployment of data centres and other critical infrastructure projects. The modular system integrates power distribution equipment into a single factory-assembled unit, reducing the need to source and coordinate multiple suppliers before installation on site. According to Durata, the launch comes as demand for AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure continues to increase, placing greater pressure on operators to bring new capacity online more quickly. PowerCore combines ring main units (RMUs), transformers, switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and busbar infrastructure into a single integrated system manufactured at the company's 80,000ft² (7,432m²) facility in the North East of England. Factory-built approach targets faster deployment Durata says PowerCore is designed, fabricated, and assembled in-house before delivery, reducing on-site construction work and simplifying project management. The company estimates the approach can reduce deployment times by up to 60% while improving quality control and programme certainty. PowerCore is designed to work with equipment from a range of manufacturers, supporting UPS, generator, switchgear, and battery technologies. Durata says the platform can be configured in stacked, linear, or side-by-side layouts to suit individual site requirements and support future expansion. The system is intended for deployments ranging from 10kW to 150kW per rack, making it suitable for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, edge, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing environments. Lewis Cobb, Global Director of AI Factories and Modular Data Centres at Durata, comments, "The biggest challenge facing many critical infrastructure projects today is getting power infrastructure at scale delivered quickly enough. "Operators are often managing multiple suppliers, competing lead times, and complex on-site integration programmes. Our PowerCore solution removes that complexity by delivering the complete power stack as a single coordinated system, configured to the customer's requirements and ready for rapid deployment. "By designing, fabricating, and integrating the solution in-house, we can provide greater control over quality, delivery, and programme timelines while giving customers a faster route to deployment. "Data centre operators increasingly need a strategic delivery partner rather than a collection of individual suppliers. We take responsibility for the engineering, fabrication, integration, logistics, and delivery of the entire power infrastructure package. "That reduces project complexity, mitigates risk, and helps customers bring critical infrastructure online faster and with greater confidence." For more from Durata, click here.

Shell renews renewable energy supply deal with Kao Data

Shell Energy UK, a supplier of gas, electricity, and broadband services, has renewed its renewable electricity supply agreement with Kao Data, a data centre developer and operator, extending its partnership with the data centre developer as demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow. Since 2022, Shell Energy has supplied Kao Data with around 140GWh of electricity each year, matched with generation from UK renewable energy assets. From 2025, the agreement has also included electricity generated by the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, from which Shell Energy Europe offtakes around 20% of the project's total output. According to the companies, the agreement is intended to support the continued development of AI and advanced computing infrastructure while matching electricity consumption with UK-based renewable generation. Kao Data says its data centres are designed for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, incorporating technologies including direct-to-chip liquid cooling. The company also states that it was the first data centre operator in Europe to transition its backup generators to hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), which can reduce lifecycle emissions compared with conventional diesel. Partnership continues focus on renewable energy James Lewis, Investment Director at Kao Data, comments, "At Kao Data, sustainability is embedded in everything we do, and developing strategic relationships remains critical to help us achieve our goals. "Our collaboration with Shell Energy has been instrumental in shaping our long-term energy management and decarbonisation strategy. Extending this relationship enables our customers' electricity demand to be matched with certified renewable generation from UK-based sources, reinforcing our commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030." Greg Kavanagh, Head of Industrial & Commercial Sales at Shell Energy, adds, "Shell Energy is delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Kao Data. Our long-standing relationship reflects the alignment between our teams and a shared focus on innovation and sustainability. "By supplying electricity backed by asset-specific renewable certificates, we're supporting Kao Data's pioneering AI infrastructure and its broader efforts to reduce emissions and progress towards net zero emissions. "Together, we're helping to set a benchmark for how energy and technology companies can enable a low-carbon digital future." For more from Kao Data, click here.

Equinix, A2A to heat Milan via district heating

Equinix, a US global data centre and interconnection services provider, and A2A, Italy’s second-largest energy operator, have announced a partnership to recover waste heat from a data centre campus near Milan and use it to supply the city's district heating network. The project will recover heat generated by servers at Equinix's campus in Settimo Milanese and transfer it to a new energy centre developed by A2A. The recovered heat will then be used to provide heating across parts of Milan. Equinix will design and manage the system used to export heat from the campus, working with customers whose IT equipment generates the thermal energy. A2A's new energy centre will use four large-scale heat pumps with a combined capacity of 72MW, together with two thermal storage systems capable of storing 6,000m³ of water. The facility will connect to Milan's district heating network via dedicated heat transport infrastructure. Once fully operational, the project is expected to recover up to 225GWh of thermal energy each year. According to the companies, this will increase the amount of heat distributed through A2A's district heating network by around 20%, providing enough energy to heat more than 21,000 homes. The partners also estimate the scheme will avoid more than 345,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Heat recovery supports district heating expansion As part of the project, A2A will expand Milan's district heating network, enabling recovered heat from the data centre to be supplied across a wider area of the city, including the Duomo and Palazzo Reale, which are already connected to the network. Adaire Fox-Martin, CEO and President of Equinix, comments, "Equinix has a long and proud history of aligning the needs of our business with the needs of the communities we call home. "Our collaboration with A2A is a clear example of how essential digital infrastructure and local sustainability goals can work in service of each other. By putting thermal energy from our operations to use for local homes and residents, we're eliminating waste and moving Milan towards a low-carbon future." Emanuela Grandi, Managing Director of Equinix Italy, adds, "Excess heat is a by-product of the processing power required for digital transformation and AI, but when we redistribute it to the areas surrounding our data centres, we can create tremendous value for our communities while reducing the overall energy needed to heat the area. "We are very proud of the efforts and achievements Equinix has done in blazing a trail for data centre heat export in Europe and we're applying learnings from our successes to our efforts in Italy. "By scale, this initiative in Italy is expected to become among the largest data centre heat export projects in Europe outside the Nordics." Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of A2A, concludes, "Data centres are strategic infrastructure for the competitiveness of the country and for supporting the digital transformation of the economy. "Their growth requires models capable of combining technological innovation, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. From this perspective, heat recovery is a key lever for maximising the value of digital hubs and accelerating the decarbonisation of cities. "The collaboration with Equinix is fully aligned with our strategy to develop an integrated ecosystem where energy, infrastructure, and innovation operate synergistically." The companies say the partnership forms part of wider efforts to support the decarbonisation of urban energy systems through the reuse of waste heat generated by digital infrastructure. For more from Equinix, click here.

DCNN reports from Johnson Controls' 'Innovation Studio'

Johnson Controls, a global provider of smart building technologies, brought its travelling Innovation Studio to London between 23 and 26 June, one stop on a 44-city tour taking the company's building technologies portfolio directly to customers, partners, and media across Europe. DCNN was invited along to step inside the mobile showcase and sit down with John Foley, General Manager, North West Europe at Johnson Controls, whose day job involves leading the company's HVAC team, but whose knowledge stretches across every industry the business serves. The Innovation Studio itself is the physical expression of an idea Johnson Controls has been mulling for some time: how do you take the collective expertise scattered across the business's European operations and put it in front of every market at once? John told us, "All of this information, intellectual property, and, more importantly, the experts that come with it are so diffused all around Europe." The tour, he explains, grew out of conversations between the company's EMEA marketing leadership about how to concentrate that firepower and take it on the road. It is, by his own admission, a fairly bold departure for a company of Johnson Controls' size, but the early results have surprised even the team behind it. "The engagement with our customers so far has been unbelievable," he continued, adding that appetite has varied (sometimes counterintuitively) from city to city, but has been strong across the board. Three pillars, one thermal chain To understand why a HVAC and controls business is investing so heavily in this kind of outreach now, John points to a set of strategic priorities set out by Johnson Controls' chief executive in November 2025: decarbonising the existing built environment, winning in critical environments such as pharmaceutical and biologics production, and enabling what he calls "the future AI economy". It is that third pillar that explains the data centre focus of the London leg. Johnson Controls has served data centres in one form or another for decades, spanning fire and security, heating and cooling, and building automation. What has changed, John says, is the scale of capital and engineering attention now being directed at the sector as a result of AI-driven growth. The company's pitch to the market has also shifted. "Our right to win in a data centre, it's not just about cooling; it's actually about our ability to own and also command the entire thermal management chain," he suggested. That means everything from extracting heat at the chip via liquid cooling plates, through rejection and plant-level cooling, all orchestrated through building automation systems. Heat that does not go to waste One strand of the conversation that stood out was waste heat reuse, an area in which John argues Johnson Controls' combined HVACR capability (he is careful to stress the "R" for refrigeration) gives it an edge over cooling specialists. The company's heat pumps, manufactured at its Sabroe facility in Aarhus, Denmark, are already being used across parts of Europe to funnel heat recovered from data centres into district heating networks serving tens of thousands of homes, a practice some Scandinavian countries now effectively mandate for new data centre developments. John, who lived in Norway for four years, is candid that the UK lags behind on this front. "It's quite frustrating… it's embarrassing," he remarked, though adding that he also sees plenty of opportunity ahead as the conversation matures. What was on show That thermal chain philosophy was reflected in the technology on display inside the studio. On the digital side, OpenBlue, Johnson Controls' AI-powered smart building platform, was positioned as the connective layer tying data, insight, and outcomes together across a building's systems, built on the Metasys building automation and controls backbone, alongside the EasyIO Neo controller range and the Webeasy front end. On the mechanical side, the YORK YVAM air-cooled magnetic bearing chiller was a centrepiece, aimed squarely at hyperscale and colocation cooling loads and built to run efficiently across a wide ambient range without relying on free-cooling coils, alongside the YCPB heat pump range for lower-carbon heating and cooling. Representing the industrial refrigeration side of the business, the Sabroe DualPAC combines the company's ChillPAC and HeatPAC units into a single modular heat pump, aimed at applications needing both cooling and high-temperature heat output efficiently. Bringing it to the UK Wrapping up, John returned to the purpose of the tour itself: getting Johnson Controls' engineers and technology in front of customers who might otherwise only encounter the brand through a single product line. Given the scale of change facing UK data centre operators, from AI-driven density increases to mounting pressure on energy and water use, it is a conversation that feels timely, and one that DCNN expects to keep returning to as the Innovation Studio continues its European run. For more from Johnson Controls, click here.

EUDCA reaffirms sustainability commitment

The European Data Centre Association (EUDCA), the representative body of the European data centre community, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting climate-neutral data centres and the sustainable growth of Europe's digital infrastructure. The organisation says it remains focused on developing a digital economy that balances increasing demand for digital services with environmental sustainability and closer integration with Europe's energy system. Founded in 2012, the EUDCA works with the data centre industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders to support the development of Europe's digital infrastructure. As a co-founder of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, the association has committed to helping the sector achieve climate neutrality by 2030. This includes improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, reducing water consumption, supporting circular economy initiatives, and encouraging the reuse of waste heat. Over recent years, the EUDCA has worked with the European Commission and industry partners on policies intended to support both digital infrastructure growth and environmental objectives. Energy integration and grid capacity On 3 June 2026, the EUDCA joined the European Commission, Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, and organisations from across the energy sector in signing a Declaration of Intent to support the sustainable integration of data centres into the European energy system. The declaration highlights the need for reliable low-carbon electricity, closer collaboration between data centre operators, grid operators, and public authorities, and a stable regulatory environment to support future investment. The association also says that expanding Europe's digital infrastructure will depend on addressing wider challenges within the electricity system, including reinforcing transmission and distribution networks, streamlining planning and permitting processes, and improving access to low-carbon electricity. Michael Winterson, Secretary General of the EUDCA, comments, "We reaffirm our commitment to sustainability, irrespective of technological developments or changing demands. A liveable, equitable, and sustainable future remains our utmost goal." The EUDCA's annual State of European Data Centres report also tracks the sector's sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance using member data and information collected under the European Energy Efficiency Directive. For more from the EUDCA, click here.