PFlow highlights VRC use in data centres

PFlow Industries, a US manufacturer of vertical reciprocating conveyor (VRC) technology, has highlighted the use of VRCs within data centre environments, focusing on its M Series and F Series systems. VRCs are typically incorporated during the design phase of a facility to support vertical movement of equipment and materials. PFlow states that, compared with conventional lifting approaches, VRCs can be integrated with automated material handling systems and used for intermittent or continuous operation, with routine maintenance requirements kept relatively low. M Series and F Series applications The PFlow M Series 2-Post Mechanical Material Lift is designed for higher-cycle environments where frequent vertical movement of equipment is required. The company says the system can handle loads of up to 10,000lb (4,536kg) and operate across multiple floor levels. Standard travel speed is stated as 25 feet (7.62 metres) per minute, with higher speeds available depending on configuration. The M Series is designed for use for transporting items such as servers, racks, and other technical equipment, with safety features intended to support controlled movement and equipment protection. The PFlow F Series 4-Post Mechanical VRC is positioned for heavier loads and larger equipment. The standard lifting capacity is up to 50,000lb (22,680kg), with higher capacities available through customisation. The design allows loading and unloading from all four sides and is intended to accommodate oversized infrastructure, including battery systems and large server assemblies. PFlow says the F Series is engineered for high-cycle operation and flexible traffic patterns within facilities. The company adds that its VRCs are designed as permanent infrastructure elements within buildings rather than standalone equipment. It states that all systems are engineered to meet ASME B20.1 conveyor requirements and are intended for continuous operation in environments where uptime is critical. Dan Hext, National Sales Director at PFlow Industries, comments, “Every industry is under cost and compliance pressure. Our VRCs help facility operators achieve maximum throughput and efficiency while maintaining the highest levels of safety.”

SIA launches data centre advisory board

The Security Industry Association (SIA), a trade association for global security solution providers, has launched a new Data Center Advisory Board to provide guidance on data centre security matters to its Board of Directors and to support SIA members with relevant resources. The group will be chaired by Jim Black, Senior Director and Security Architect at Microsoft, who has been involved in the company’s cloud and data centre operations since 2011. The establishment of the advisory board comes as global demand for data centre capacity continues to rise, driven by artificial intelligence, cloud services, and other digital technologies. As facilities that host large volumes of sensitive information, data centres face increasing pressure to maintain robust and resilient security practices. A focus on collaboration and guidance According to SIA, the Data Center Advisory Board will contribute to the development of guidance and information related to security deployments, encourage collaboration between security providers and data centre security professionals, and engage with SIA’s government relations team on legislative and regulatory matters where relevant. In his role at Microsoft, Jim is responsible for defining security technology strategy to protect assets and personnel across a global portfolio of more than 400 data centres. He holds several professional certifications, including Certified Protection Professional and Physical Security Professional from ASIS International, as well as Certified Information Systems Security Professional from ISC². Commenting on his appointment, he notes, “The data centre industry is experiencing unprecedented growth and heightened risks driven by emerging technologies and global operational challenges. "I am honoured to serve as SIA’s inaugural Data Center Advisory Board Chair and look forward to working with this accomplished group of industry experts to advance and publish modern security standards that will strengthen cloud critical infrastructure protection worldwide.” Don Erickson, CEO of SIA, says Jim’s experience makes him well suited to the role, commenting, “The Data Center Advisory Board is an important venture for SIA, and we are very pleased that it will be able to benefit from Jim’s experience and expertise in data centre security from its inception. “Jim has for many years been an enthusiastic and generous supporter of SIA, contributing to multiple groups and projects that have advanced the industry’s professionalism and knowledge base. We are excited about what the advisory board will accomplish under his leadership.”

Duos Edge AI expands US edge data centres

Duos Technologies Group, through its subsidiary Duos Edge AI, a provider of edge data centre (EDC) systems, has expanded its EDC footprint in Texas and entered the Illinois market, serving the Greater Chicago area. The company reports continued deployments across several Texas locations and that the Illinois site represents its first installation in the Midwest. Duos Edge AI says further sites are planned as part of a broader geographic expansion. Texas and Midwest deployments In Texas, Duos Edge AI has added two edge data centres in Lubbock to support carrier neutral requirements. The company has also deployed sites supporting education, healthcare, and service providers in Amarillo, Victoria, Waco, Dumas, and Corpus Christi. The Illinois deployment is located in the Greater Chicagoland area and is described as the first of multiple planned installations in the Midwest. According to the company, the Lubbock sites are intended to address service provider demand, while the broader Texas portfolio supports a range of public and private sector use cases. Duos Edge AI’s modular edge data centres include security controls aligned with SOC 2 Type II certification under AICPA standards. The company also references its patented modular data centre entryway design, which is intended to protect equipment in controlled environments. Commenting on the expansion, Doug Recker, President of Duos and founder of Duos Edge AI, says, “Expanding within Texas and into the Illinois market is a meaningful milestone that reflects both execution discipline and rising demand for our Edge Data Center. "We are building a scalable, repeatable deployment model that supports education, carriers, and enterprises with secure, low-latency infrastructure. "These expansions align with our growth strategy and reinforce our confidence in continued momentum as we execute against our long-term guidance.” Duos Edge AI states that it plans to expand into additional US states, focusing on carrier neutral facilities that support localised compute and edge infrastructure requirements in a range of markets. For more from Duos Edge AI, click here.

CapitaLand India Trust divests data centre stakes

CapitaLand India Trust (CLINT), a Singapore-listed business trust investing in data centres, IT parks, industrial facilities, and logistics across India, has entered into definitive agreements to divest 20.2% stakes in three data centre assets under development to CapitaLand India Data Centre Fund (CIDCF). The transaction has an estimated total purchase consideration of ₹7.02 billion (S$99.73 million; £57.8 million). The consideration is based on 20.2% of the combined enterprise value of the three assets, amounting to ₹51.97 billion (S$738.2 million; £428.3 million) as of 31 December 2025. This valuation will be adjusted for liabilities, working capital, and capital expenditure, and remains subject to post-completion adjustments. According to the Trust, the agreed enterprise value was negotiated on a willing-buyer and willing-seller basis and represents a premium to the independent valuation of ₹45.70 billion (S$649 million; £376.6 million) as at 31 December 2025. Details of the data centre assets The three data centres included in the transaction are located in Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad. In Navi Mumbai, CapitaLand DC Mumbai consists of two towers in Airoli. Tower one is completed with an IT power capacity of 34MW and a gross capacity of 50MW, while tower two remains under development with planned capacities of 37MW IT and 55MW gross. CapitaLand DC Chennai, located in Ambattur, is under development and is expected to provide 34MW of IT capacity and 53MW of gross capacity. CapitaLand DC Hyderabad, situated in Madhapur, is also under development, with planned capacities of 27MW IT and 42MW gross. In September 2025, CLINT divested CyberVale in Chennai and CyberPearl in Hyderabad, marking the Trust’s first divestment since its listing in 2007. The partial divestment of its data centre portfolio follows this earlier transaction and forms part of what CLINT describes as its broader approach to managing and realising the value of its development assets. Commenting on the transaction, Gauri Shankar Nagabhushanam, Chief Executive Officer of CapitaLand India Trust Management, the trustee-manager of CLINT, says, “The partial divestment reflects continued execution of our portfolio reconstitution strategy. "By unlocking value earlier in the development cycle while retaining a significant stake in the assets, we are able to support our development pipeline and enhance financial flexibility. “We are pleased to be partnering with CIDCF and remain invested in the future growth of India’s data centre sector through our remaining stake in the portfolio. "The partnership with CIDCF also provides CLINT the right to participate in a partial stake in future data centre developments by our sponsor and potentially buy back the assets or explore exit options such as an initial public offering of the assets. "Post-transaction, CLINT remains well-positioned to pursue accretive and higher yielding investment growth opportunities in key Indian cities to create value for our Unitholders.”

The blueprint for tomorrow’s sustainable data centres

In this exclusive article for DCNN, Francesco Fontana, Enterprise Marketing and Alliances Director at Aruba, explores how operators can embed sustainability, flexibility, and high-density engineering into data centre design to meet the accelerating demands of AI: Sustainable design is now central to AI-scale data centres The explosive growth of AI is straining data centre capacity, prompting operators to both upgrade existing sites and plan large-scale new-builds. Europe’s AI market, projected to grow at a 36.4% CAGR through 2033, is driving this wave of investment as operators scramble to match demand. Operators face mounting pressure to address the environmental costs of rapid growth, as expansion alone cannot meet the challenge. The path forward lies in designing facilities that are sustainable by default, while balancing resilience, efficiency, and adaptability to ensure data centres can support the accelerating demands of AI. The cost of progress Customer expectations for data centres have shifted dramatically in recent years. The rapid uptake of AI and cloud technologies is fuelling demand for colocation environments that are scalable, flexible, and capable of supporting constantly evolving workloads and managing surging volumes of data. But this evolution comes at a cost. AI and other compute-intensive applications demand vast amounts of processing power, which in turn place new strains on both energy and water resources. Global data centre electricity usage is projected to reach 1,050 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2026, placing data centres among the world’s top five national consumers. This rising consumption has put data centres firmly under the spotlight. Regulators, customers, and the wider public are scrutinising how facilities are designed and operated, making it clear that sustainability can no longer be treated as optional. To survive amongst these new expectations, operators must balance performance with environmental responsibility, rethinking infrastructure from the ground up. Steps to a next-generation sustainable data centre 1. Embed sustainability from day one Facilities designed 'green by default' are better placed to meet both operational and environmental goals, and this why sustainability can’t be an afterthought. This requires renewable energy integration from the outset through on-site solar, hydroelectric systems, or long-term clean power purchase agreements. Operators across Europe are also committing to industry frameworks like the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact and the European Green Digital Coalition, ensuring progress is independently verified. Embedding sustainability into the design and operation of data centres not only reduces carbon intensity but also creates long-term efficiency gains that help manage AI’s heavy energy demands. 2. Build for flexibility and scale Modern businesses need infrastructures that can grow with them. For operators, this means creating resilient IT environments with space and power capacity to support future demand. Offering adaptable options - such as private cages and cross-connects - gives customers the freedom to scale resources up or down, as well as tailor facilities to their unique needs. This flexibility underpins cloud expansion, digital transformation initiatives, and the integration of new applications - all while helping customers remain agile in a competitive market. 3. Engineering for the AI Workload AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads demand far more power and cooling capacity than traditional IT environments, and conventional designs are struggling to keep up. Facilities must be engineered specifically for high-density deployments. Advanced cooling technologies, such as liquid cooling, allow operators to safely and sustainably support power densities far above 20 kW per rack, essential for next-generation GPUs and other AI-driven infrastructure. Rethinking power distribution, airflow management, and rack layout ensures high-density computing can be delivered efficiently without compromising stability or sustainability. 4. Location matters Where a data centre is built plays a major role in its sustainability profile, as regional providers often offer greater flexibility and more personalised services to meet customer needs. Italy, for example, has become a key destination for new facilities. Its cloud computing market is estimated at €10.8 billion (£9.4 billion) in 2025 and is forecast to more than double to €27.4 billion (£23.9 billion) by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.6%. Significant investments from hyperscalers in recent years are accelerating growth, making the region a hotspot for operators looking to expand in Europe. 5. Stay compliant with regulations and certifications Strong regulatory and environmental compliance is fundamental. Frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) safeguard data, while certifications like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) demonstrate energy efficiency and environmental accountability. Adhering to these standards ensures legal compliance, but it also improves operational transparency and strengthens credibility with customers. Sustainability and performance as partners The data centres of tomorrow must scale sustainably to meet the demands of AI, cloud, and digital transformation. This requires embedding efficiency and adaptability into every stage of design and operation. Investment in renewable energy, such as hydro and solar, will be crucial to reducing emissions. Equally, innovations like liquid cooling will help manage the thermal loads of compute-heavy AI environments. Emerging technologies - including agentic AI systems that autonomously optimise energy use and breakthroughs in quantum computing - promise to take efficiency even further. In short, sustainability and performance are no longer competing objectives; together, they form the foundation of a resilient digital future where AI can thrive without compromising the planet. For more from Aruba, click here.

AirTrunk opens hyperscale data centre campus in Melbourne

AirTrunk, a hyperscale data centre specialist in the Asia Pacific & Middle East region, has announced the acquisition of a new site in Melbourne’s North West for its second Melbourne campus, to be known as MEL2. With over 354MW capacity, MEL2 will add more than AUD $5 billion (£2.48bn) in new direct investment and lift AirTrunk’s total deployable capacity in Melbourne to over 630 MW. Across MEL1 and MEL2, AirTrunk’s investment in the city’s digital infrastructure will exceed AUD $7 billion (£3.45bn), delivering one of the largest economic and productivity boosts to Victoria. MEL2 is expected to create over 4,000 jobs during the multi-phase construction and over 200 direct jobs, once operational. In addition, AirTrunk will boost the local supply chain creating in excess of 1,000 full-time jobs to support its data centres. The new site will complement AirTrunk’s existing Australian campuses, giving global AI and cloud customers greater geographical diversity across the Sydney and Melbourne markets. AirTrunk will operate five campuses nationally - SYD1 (121 MW+), SYD2 (158 MW+), SYD3 (330 MW+), MEL1 (276 MW+), and MEL2 (354 MW+) - delivering a combined capacity of more than 1.2 GW. Robin Khuda, Founder & CEO of AirTrunk, says, “Australia has set bold ambitions to become a global AI hub, and demand for AI ready infrastructure continues to grow. MEL2 is part of our response. Working closely with Invest Victoria, we’re expanding in Melbourne to support Australia’s AI future while creating new opportunities for local business and communities. “AI data centres require significant upfront investment, and AirTrunk’s strong balance sheet and proven regional track record helps give global AI customers confidence in reliable, on time deployment in Australia.” Victorian Premier, the Hon. Jacinta Allan, adds, “Victoria is leading Australia’s digital transformation, and investments like this will strengthen our state’s position as a hub for cloud and AI innovation, create thousands of jobs, and deliver sustainable infrastructure that supports our growing technology ecosystem." AirTrunk’s expansion in Melbourne follows last week’s announcement of a new hyperscale campus in Osaka, Japan, delivering up to 100MW of IT load in Japan and a AUD $3 billion-plus (£1.48bn) new direct investment in Japan. OSK2 and MEL2 - which will become AirTrunk’s fourteenth and fifteenth data centres respectively - expand the company’s hyperscale platform to deliver a total capacity in excess of 2.6 GW across six markets in Asia Pacific and Middle East: Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. AirTrunk’s Melbourne expansion comes as Australia advances its National AI Plan, released in late 2025, which outlines the country’s ambition to become a global hub for artificial intelligence. The plan is built around three pillars: capturing the opportunity through investment in infrastructure and skills, spreading the benefits across industries and communities, and keeping Australians safe through responsible AI governance. By delivering a new hyperscale data centre in Melbourne, AirTrunk says that it is directly supporting these national goals, enabling smarter government services, faster business innovation, and stronger human connection, while creating opportunities for local talent and suppliers. For more from AirTrunk, click here.

Telehouse Canada, Megaport partner to expand cloud options

Telehouse Canada, an operator of colocation data centres, has announced a strategic partnership with Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider Megaport, expanding cloud connectivity capabilities across its Canadian data centre portfolio. The agreement enables Telehouse Canada customers to access Megaport’s global ecosystem, which includes more than 280 cloud on-ramps and over 300 service providers. Through the integration, organisations can establish scalable, private connections to leading cloud platforms and global IT services directly from Telehouse Canada facilities. Customers can access the Megaport Portal from all Telehouse Canada data centres, allowing them to design flexible, high-performance network architectures that support hybrid and multi-cloud workloads, as well as more traditional enterprise use cases. Simplified networking and AI-focused connectivity By leveraging Megaport’s global platform, organisations can scale connectivity on demand and streamline network operations. Services available include Megaport Cloud Router, which enables direct data transfer between multiple cloud environments, and API-based integration to automate deployment and ongoing management. Atsushi Kubo, President and CEO of Telehouse Canada, says the partnership enhances the value of its data centre ecosystem, stating, “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, efficient connectivity. "Alongside colocation, we are providing customers with access to a highly interconnected environment that supports growth and reduces complexity through Megaport’s platform.” The partnership also provides access to Megaport’s AI Exchange (AIx), a connectivity ecosystem designed to support AI-driven workloads. AIx enables organisations to interconnect with GPU-as-a-Service providers, neocloud platforms, third-party AI models, and storage and compute resources, supporting the rapid delivery of AI services at a global scale. Michael Reid, CEO of Megaport, notes, “As organisations operate across increasingly complex environments, connectivity and compute must work seamlessly together. "Partnering with Telehouse Canada allows us to extend our capabilities into a strong local ecosystem, giving customers the foundations required to support advanced workloads today and adapt as their needs evolve.” Telehouse Canada and Megaport say they plan to continue developing the partnership, with a shared focus on strengthening secure, high-performance digital infrastructure to support Canadian organisations and international connectivity requirements. For more from Telehouse, click here.

Yondr completes RFS milestone at Northern Virginia campus

Yondr Group, a global developer, owner, and operator of hyperscale data centres, has completed the first ready-for-service (RFS) milestone for the second building at its 96MW hyperscale data centre campus in Loudoun County, Northern Virginia, USA. The milestone marks the delivery of the first 12MW of capacity within a 48MW facility, which forms part of Yondr’s wider Northern Virginia development. The second building is scheduled to become fully operational in 2026. Developed in partnership with JK Land Holdings, the project supports Yondr’s strategy to deliver additional cloud and digital infrastructure capacity as global data demand continues to rise, driven in part by the growing adoption of artificial intelligence workloads. Yondr completed the first 48MW data centre at the Northern Virginia campus in 2024. The company also has a further 240MW of capacity planned on an adjacent parcel of land, which would bring the total campus capacity to 336MW. Northern Virginia remains one of the world’s most established data centre markets, accounting for close to 60% of the primary data centre inventory in the United States and hosting more than 30 million square feet of operational data centre space. Continued expansion across North America Yondr says the Loudoun County development reflects its broader growth strategy across North America. In addition to Northern Virginia, the company currently has a 27MW project under development in Toronto and has secured a 163-acre site in Lancaster, south of Dallas, where it plans to develop a 550MW hyperscale campus. Todd Sauer, VP Design & Construction Americas at Yondr Group, says, “This RFS milestone is the latest in a series of achievements across our North American data centre portfolio and continues the strong progress we’re making in the important Northern Virginia market.” John Madden, Chief Data Centre Officer at Yondr Group, adds, “As demand for capacity continues to increase, we are stepping up our investment in North America, a high-growth, dynamic market full of opportunities. "We look forward to expanding in the region and continuing to deliver scalable, reliable infrastructure that meets our customers’ evolving requirements.” For more from Yondr Group, click here.

Datacenter United gains SBTi emissions validation

Datacenter United, an independent Belgian data centre operator, has confirmed that its near-term emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a global partnership that helps companies set emissions reduction targets aligned with climate science. The approval aligns the company’s targets with the 1.5°C pathway, the most stringent scenario within the SBTi framework. The company says its investment programme will continue to prioritise energy efficiency, cooling approaches suited to higher density environments, responsible water use, and infrastructure designed to support AI workloads. Friso Haringsma, CEO of Datacenter United, says, “The SBTi validation confirms that our sustainability strategy is not only ambitious, but also substantively sound. "We are convinced that digital progress and sustainable growth can reinforce each other. This recognition motivates us to continue on this path consistently.” Sustainability commitments and investment programme The SBTi validation forms part of a wider sustainability framework in place at Datacenter United. The company holds ISO 14001 certification and is a signatory to the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact. It also works with external organisations including EcoVadis, Greenly, and The Green Grid. Datacenter United has linked the validation to its ongoing €120 million (£105 million) investment programme, which is focused on efficiency improvements, reduced energy consumption, water management, and infrastructure designed for future demand. The company says the milestone supports its longer-term approach to operating data centres in Belgium with an emphasis on reliability, scalability, and environmental performance. For more from Datacenter United, click here.

Enecom upgrades data storage with Infinidat's InfiniBox

Infinidat, a provider of enterprise data storage systems, has announced that Enecom, a Japanese ICT services provider operating primarily in the Chugoku region, has upgraded its enterprise data infrastructure using multiple InfiniBox storage systems. Enecom has deployed five InfiniBox systems across its environment. Two systems support the company’s EneWings enterprise cloud service, two are used for internal virtual infrastructure, and one is dedicated to backup and verification. The deployment is intended to support service availability, scalability, and resilience as data volumes increase. According to Enecom, the investment was driven by customer requirements for high system reliability, concerns around cyber security, and the rising cost and operational impact of legacy storage platforms. Masayuki Chikaraishi, Solution Service Department, Solution Business Division at Enecom, says, “When we were choosing how to upgrade our storage infrastructure, our customers told us that system reliability was particularly important and that the threat of damage caused by cyberattacks was a major concern. "We also had to address the rising costs of the legacy systems and the fallout when hardware failures occurred. For the longer term, we needed to be proactive to be able to handle the expected future growth in cloud demand and to strengthen the appeal of our EneWings brand.” Availability and cyber resilience focus Enecom says it is using an active-active configuration across two InfiniBox systems to maintain service continuity during maintenance and software upgrades. Takashi Ueki, Solution Service Department, Solution Business Division at Enecom, notes, “Many of our customers are concerned that even the slightest outage will affect their business. "By using two InfiniBox systems in an active-active cluster configuration, we can continue to provide services with higher reliability and peace of mind without interruption, even when performing maintenance or software version upgrades.” Cyber resilience was also a key consideration. Enecom is using InfiniSafe features within the InfiniBox platform, including immutable snapshots and recovery capabilities, to support rapid restoration following cyber incidents. Masayuki continues, “InfiniBox provides high-speed, tamper-proof, immutable snapshots creation as a standard feature to enable rapid recovery from a future cyberattack. Keeping data within Japan for data security reasons will become more important in the future.” For more from Infinidat, click here.