Data Centre Build News & Insights

LINX IXP in Jeddah completes capacity upgrades

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has completed its 100G capacity upgrade project in Jeddah, following an increase in customers and port demands at the interconnection hub in KSA. LINX has been powering Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) for Center3, its strategic partner in Saudi Arabia, since 2018. Jeddah was the first port of call for this deployment and since then, LINX peering services have gone live in Riyadh and teams are preparing to deploy in Dammam this year. Jeddah is one of the main landing stations for subsea cables in the Middle East, distributing global content locally and providing convenient onward connectivity to Asia, Europe and Africa. The IXP in Jeddah creates a neutral and central meeting point in the MG1 (MENA Gateway) data centre for carriers, cloud, content providers, enterprise networks and more to peer their network traffic locally and improve end user online performance. The IXP also offers lower latency, increased control and resilience, and increased security and redundancy. Halil Kama, Regional Director for LINX in the Middle East, comments, “We are pleased to be upgrading our internet exchange capacity with an additional 16x 100G port capability due to customer demand in Jeddah. This enhancement further strengthens Jeddah’s role as a digital gateway, ensuring faster, more efficient connections for networks and users across the region.” With regular traffic peaks over 650Gbps, networks connected into the IXP in Jeddah need to ensure their ports have the capacity to cope with the spikes in online traffic often generated by sporting events or gaming upgrades. There were 36.84 million internet users in Saudi Arabia in January 2024, with an impressive internet penetration rate of 99% of the total population at the start of 2024. Additionally, Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in Saudi Arabia increased by 527,000 (1.4%) between January 2023 and January 2024. The rapid evolution of the digital scene in Saudi Arabia is fuelled by its Vision 2030 strategy. The growth in sports and event tourism has generated a greater need for lower latency streaming solutions, and with talks that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) could acquire a minority stake in sports streaming service, DAZN, this demand is set to continue to increase. AWS has also just announced Jeddah as a new CloudFront Edge location and plans to invest more than $5.3 billion (£4.3bn) in the long term to develop Saudi Arabi as an AWS cloud region. With an increase in partnerships, investments and services comes a further demand for capacity and continued and reliable low latency interconnection solutions. For more from The London Internet Exchange, click here.

atNorth joins UN Global Compact

atNorth, the Nordic colocation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence service provider, has become a signatory of the United Nations’ Global Compact as part of its ongoing commitment to business sustainability. The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative that enables members to align their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world and involves an annual disclosure of responsible business practices. Corporate responsibility is a core part of atNorth’s business ethos, and the company has evidenced this through its strategic Nordic locations, proprietary data centre design, heat reuse programmes and adherence to ISO14001 and ISO 45001 guidelines. These factors allow customers such as BNP Paribas and Shearwater Geoservices to decarbonise their IT workloads. The business has been a strong voice on the topic of the environmental impact of the data centre industry and is a member of several data centre industry associations in addition to the Infrastructure Masons Climate Accord - a coalition united on carbon reduction in digital infrastructure and the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact that is an agreement to make data centres climate neutral by 2030. By joining the UN Global Compact, atNorth will continue to share insight into its sustainability journey as a whole and inspire the data centre industry to not only mitigate its ecological risk, but to strive towards positive and restorative environmental and community impact. “As awareness of the environmental and social impact of digital infrastructure continues to grow, we are committed to raising the bar and leading by example as a responsible business within the data centre industry”, says Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO atNorth. “By actively aligning with the globally recognised UN Global Compact, we will provide a transparent account of our progress across the board”. atNorth recently appointed Cora Olsen, Director of Sustainability, to lead the continuous development and implementation of the business’s sustainability strategy which includes coordinating its alignment and reporting to the UN Global Compact’s principles. Cora comments, “Having recently joined atNorth, I am very impressed by the high level of ambition when it comes to sustainability. Becoming a signatory to the UN Global Compact is an important step forward to demonstrate our commitment to the global sustainability agenda.” For more from atNorth, click here.

Siemon releases 2024 ESG Report

Siemon, a network infrastructure specialist, has announced the release of its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report. This latest report highlights the company's commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and robust governance principles, and outlines the ways it is advancing ESG initiatives within the information communication technology industry. John Siemon, Chief Technology Officer, states, “Our 2024 ESG Report underscores Siemon’s commitment to driving meaningful change across all aspects of our business. Achieving the EcoVadis Gold Rating, investing in state-of-the-art tools for ESG reporting, and being recognised as a Great Place to Work for the second consecutive year reflect the strides we have made. At Siemon, sustainability and ethical business practices are embedded in our DNA. Together with our employees and partners, we are charting a course toward a more sustainable and equitable future.” The 2024 ESG Report outlines several key accomplishments over the past year, including: • 2023 Gold EcoVadis Rating: Siemon’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices has been recognised with a gold rating from EcoVadis, placing Siemon in the top 5% of companies globally for its ESG commitment.• Investing in advanced tools like 3E Exchange, Greenly and One Click to enhance reporting accuracy, transparency, and decision-making.• Recognition as a Great Place to Work for the second year in a row, reflecting the workplace culture at Siemon. Building on these achievements, Siemon has continued its focus on reducing environmental impact through innovative product design and sustainable packaging. The report details Siemon’s ongoing alignment with global initiatives, including adherence to the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct, membership in the United Nations Global Compact, and progress toward the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) commitment to net zero. John Siemon concludes, “As we celebrate these accomplishments, we recognise the importance of staying at the forefront of ESG innovation. This report reflects directly on the level of engagement and commitment from every Siemon employee and supplier to our values and code of conduct. It is through this engagement that we minimise adverse environmental impacts and foster personal and social wellness within our organisation, industries, and communities.” To view Siemon’s 2024 ESG Report and learn more about the company’s initiatives, click here. For more from Siemon, click here.

Armstrong International acquires humidity controls specialist

Armstrong International EMEA, the continental entity of the global thermal energy innovations provider, Armstrong International, has acquired HygroTemp, a Netherlands-based humidity controls specialist. HygroTemp has worked closely with Armstrong – EMEA’s Humidification Group in the Netherlands since 2007. Together they promote key technologies like the EvaPack, a hygienic and controlled evaporation system manufactured by Armstrong EMEA’s subsidiary, Devatec, located in Normandy, France. HygroTemp’s former owner and Managing Director, Rolf Bosscher, will support Armstrong’s European Humidification team in further developing and promoting the EvaPack technology. He will also continue to be HygroTemp’s Business Development Manager. “Our clients are entering into a transition from steam humidification towards adiabatic humidification and free cooling, thus facilitating decarbonisation thanks to lower evaporation temperature,” says Rossen Ivanov, Managing Director of Armstrong International – EMEA. “HygroTemp has played a key role in introducing this new technology to companies in healthcare, pharmaceutical, electronics and data centre market segments, among others.” Jean-François Frambot, Armstrong International’s Global Director of Humidification and General Manager of Devatec, will take on the role of General Manager at HygroTemp. He comments, “This acquisition strengthens our position in The Netherlands and supports expansion into other European markets, where the demand for hygienic adiabatic humidification and free cooling solutions is growing.” Armstrong says that the acquisition underscores its continued investment in sustainable, innovative technologies that foster thermal energy efficiency, decarbonisation and long-term growth.

Chilean data centres to be powered with renewable energy

Atlas Renewable Energy, an international provider of renewable energy sources, has formed an agreement with ODATA, an Aligned Data Centers company and an expert in data centre construction and operations, to power Chilean data centres with 100% renewable energy. A landmark agreement for the Chile and data centre sector, this partnership continues Atlas' commitment to driving innovation in sustainable energy innovations for the rapidly growing Chilean data centre sector - with the company also supporting ODATA's strategic objectives and sustainability initiatives in the country. The agreement leverages diverse renewable energy sources, including solar power, to deliver 100% I-REC certifiable renewable energy to ODATA, empowering the organisation with the flexibility to pursue sustainable growth and expansion in the region. Ricardo Alário, CEO of ODATA, says, “We are proud to partner with Atlas Renewable Energy to support the proliferation of new technologies in this dynamic market while further advancing our sustainability goals. As a leader in data centre infrastructure for Latin America, we recognise Chile's potential as a key technology hub. With its strategic location and AI growth potential, the country provides an ideal environment for sustainable data centre growth.” Alfredo Solar, Regional Manager of Atlas Renewable Energy for Chile and the Southern Cone, adds, “At Atlas, we want to promote the implementation of innovative and cutting-edge technologies, where this agreement with ODATA represents just that - an important advance for the country, but hand in hand with sustainability. It is essential that this industry continues to develop at an accelerated pace, especially in an interconnected world in which we want to be protagonists, and for this, renewables as a way to ensure the reduction of the environmental impact of technological growth are key.” This agreement also fosters innovation and a sustainable energy transition in Chile to pave the way for an emerging and expanding data centre industry. Driven by the surge of cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the data centre industry has emerged as one of Latin America's fastest-growing sectors. This rapid growth is expected to continue as demand for new technologies accelerates. In Latin America, demand is particularly high in cities such as São Paulo, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile, where capacity is still limited compared to the growing need for digital infrastructure. Likewise, AI has advanced rapidly in Chile, which is considered one of the regional leaders in AI adoption, alongside governance, infrastructure, human talent, research, and development, according to the Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA) 2024. Given the significant growth and demand within the data centre sector, Atlas Renewable Energy, with its 8.4 GW of renewable energy projects across Latin America, is well-positioned to partner with data centres in Chile. Leveraging its expertise in solar, and battery storage, Atlas can provide clean energy solutions that support the industry's continued expansion. This partnership will not only drive sustainable energy adoption within the Chilean technology sector, but also contribute to job creation and promote a more sustainable future. For more from ODATA, click here.

Latos to accelerate AI with new edge data centres

Latos today launched a new capability to design, build, and operate a new generation of small-scale 'volumetric' data centres at the network edge. Edge data centres will play a key role in enabling what Accenture has called the 'binary big bang' – the transformation of businesses and public services using AI. Edge-based volumetric data centres enable AI to run faster and safer. Latos volumetric data centres will be built to Tier III standards, comprise as few as 24 racks with unlimited scaling opportunity, and deliver as much as 100kW of energy per rack. This is enough to support the most intensive AI training tasks: training a generative model like ChatGPT needs around 80kW per rack. The new facilities will also reflect the latest net zero building techniques. Constructed from modular components, they will feature high performance power and cooling. Latos plans to design, build, and operate volumetric data centres on behalf of customers across the UK, as well as licensing its designs to partners worldwide. Latos's announcement comes as the UK government reveals plans to expand the UK’s computing capacity 20-fold by 2030 as part of the AI Opportunities Action Plan. It is creating a number of AI Growth Zones (AIGZs) across the UK to help support private investors in data centres and other AI infrastructure. Mike Carlin, CEO of Latos Data Centres, says, “While we applaud the government for its ambition over the UK’s AI infrastructure, a handful of large-scale data centres in far-flung locations won’t be enough. We’ll need more compute facilities closer to end users – and that means the network edge. We’ve designed Latos volumetric data centres specifically to help organisations capitalise on AI. They are state of the art, quick to build, and cost-effective to run.” Latos recently announced it is moving into the construction phase of a 50,400 square metre hyperscale data centre in Cardiff and plans to open a total of 40 data centres across the UK by 2030. For more from Latos, click here.

TerraPower and Sabey reach deal for deployment of Natrium plants

TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company, and Sabey Data Centers (SDC), a data centre developer, owner and operator, have announced a memorandum of understanding to develop a strategic collaboration agreement to utilise advanced nuclear Natrium plants into SDC’s current and future data centre operations. TerraPower broke ground on America’s first advanced nuclear project in 2024, near a retiring coal facility in Wyoming. The strategic collaboration includes exploring new Natrium plants in the Rocky Mountain region, as well as Texas, to support growing power needs for SDC-owned data centres. Due to the breadth of the opportunity, TerraPower and SDC will explore multiple project execution structures to meet the exponential demand in data centre energy needs with TerraPower’s innovative advanced nuclear and storage Natrium technology. "At its heart, TerraPower is an innovation-driven company, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Sabey to address the surging energy demands of data centres with clean, reliable and adaptable solutions like the Natrium technology," explains Chris Levesque, TerraPower President and CEO. "The energy sector is transforming at an unprecedented pace after decades of business as usual, and meaningful progress will require strategic collaboration across industries. Together, we can ensure advanced nuclear technology plays a vital role in securing a clean, resilient energy grid." “Sabey Data Centers is dedicated to pioneering sustainable energy solutions to support our customers’ growth,” adds Tim Mirick, President of Sabey Data Centers. “Our strategic collaboration with TerraPower represents a substantial move toward integrating clean, innovative power technologies into the heart of our operations.” "This strategic relationship exemplifies the forward-thinking collaboration necessary to meet the evolving energy demands of our digital future," notes Jeffrey Kanne, Vice Chairman of Sabey Data Centers and President and CEO of National Real Estate Advisors. The rise of AI and data centres is projected to increase US electricity demand by 323 terawatt hours by 2030. The Natrium technology is the first advanced nuclear technology to be deployed in the US and features a 345 MW sodium-cooled fast reactor with a patented molten salt-based energy storage system. The storage technology can boost the system’s output to 500 MW of power when needed, and can be customised to match specific site needs. The energy storage system is designed to keep base output steady, ensuring constant reliability, and can quickly ramp up when demand peaks. It is reportedly the only advanced reactor design with this unique feature, and is well suited to meet the power demands of data centres. SDC is one of the largest private data centre providers in the world, with over 20 years of experience in developing, constructing and operating data centers across the nation. It has pioneered sustainability within the data centre industry with a focus on whole-building energy efficiency and have a goal of achieving carbon-free energy operations across their portfolio. The Natrium technology is the first mover in the advanced reactor sector and is well positioned to support the dramatic new energy demand for data centres. Natrium is the only advanced nuclear technology with a construction permit application for a commercial reactor pending with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the only advanced nuclear developer to begin construction on a commercial project in the US. The first Natrium plant is being developed through the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), a public-private partnership. That project is expected to be online in 2030 and will be the first commercial, utility-scale advanced nuclear power plant in the US. For more from Sabey Data Centers, click here.

Schneider Electric named World’s Most Sustainable Corporation

Schneider Electric, the expert in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has been named the World’s Most Sustainable Corporation 2025 by Corporate Knights and, in the process, has become the only company to rank first in the Global 100 twice. Schneider Electric previously topped this annual list of the most sustainable publicly listed companies in 2021 - the same year it generated annual revenues of over $1 billion. Schneider says that the achievement underlines its long-standing commitment and holistic approach to delivering the best environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance possible. “For many years now, sustainability has been at the heart of what Schneider Electric does,” comments Olivier Blum, Schneider Electric's CEO. “For an IMPACT company it's more than just a corporate goal, it's the driving force that shapes our business decisions and inspires our employees. This second title as the World's Most Sustainable Corporation from Corporate Knights, alongside other key ESG recognitions, is testimony to the valuable, long-term positive impact we have.” This year, Schneider Electric’s number one position reflects the company’s leadership in sustainable development practices, such as the gender diversity of its executives and board directors, and its innovative solutions to facilitate energy efficiency, electrification and decarbonisation. Schneider also obtained strong scores for efforts to decouple its energy consumption and carbon emissions from its business growth, and its strong investment in sustainable research and development. Corporate Knights also called out the link between executive pay incentives and Schneider Electric’s sustainability performance and ESG ratings. Toby Heaps, Corporate Knights’ CEO, states, “Schneider Electric's position at the top of the Global 100 index is remarkable. No other company has accomplished this twice. This success stems from Schneider's broad impact that goes beyond its own sustainability efforts. Schneider provides the technology to enhance energy efficiency, support decarbonisation and help other companies in their sustainable transitions.” Compiled by the Canadian media and research company, Corporate Knights, the annual Global 100 index is based on publicly disclosed, quantitative data related to resources, employees, suppliers, sustainable revenues, and investment. The Global 100 methodology uses fixed and variable key performance indicators to rank companies among their peers. Schneider Electric has been part of the Global 100 every year for the past 14 years and in the top 10 seven times - a record for its electrical equipment manufacturing peer group. Being awarded this title in both 2021 and 2025 coincides with the beginning and end of the five-year period of the latest Schneider Sustainability Impact programme. This programme measures the company’s progress across a range of transformative ESG targets set for the end of 2025 and helps it to maintain a focus on achieving both its global and local ambitions. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

RWO wins ‘next generation’ data centre work

North East engineer, RWO, has won work to support the development of the first of a new generation of data centres, strengthening its position as a growing provider of services to the sector. The Newcastle-based firm is providing an undisclosed package of civil, structural and geo environmental engineering services for the Latos Data Centres hyperscale data centre in Cardiff, a Tier III asset designed to meet the needs of the most demanding global technology companies. The move follows the Stockton-based IT services and consulting specialists’ announcement to deliver 40 new data centres across the UK by 2030. Cardiff will be the first of its data centres to go fully live later this year, and it's set to offer a total of 90MVA across 50,400 square metres of floor space. Power for the site will come from a 100% renewable energy supply from the National Grid, supported with a backup feed from the neighbouring 1000MW Tremorfa Energy Park - which is one of the world’s largest battery energy storage facilities. RWO’s work, which is being undertaken in conjunction with Teesside architect, Create Architecture, sees the provision of engineering expertise to bring forward state-of-the-art facilities to meet strong demand for domestic data processing and storage capabilities. The data centre market is poised for significant growth in the coming years, with forecasts indicating a substantial increase in demand, particularly when it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI) - with the European AI market expected to grow by 25.9% in 2024, with annual growth of 15.9% until 2030. The Cardiff project comes as RWO continues to expand operations beyond its traditional North of England heartland. Ross Oakley, Managing Director of RWO, says, “Securing this work is another big step forward for us as we continue to grow our presence in the burgeoning data centre design and build sector. Our involvement through the planning and pre-construction phase, coupled with our in-depth knowledge of highly-specialist industrial and temperature-controlled facilities such as this, has enabled us to bring forward an effective programme of engineering to deliver the project.” Latos plans to open its purpose-built data centres across the UK by 2030 as part of a mission to enable UK businesses to capitalise on the power of advanced computing, including AI. For more from Latos Data Centres, click here.

DeepCoolAI and Sanmina partner to scale AI infrastructure

DeepCoolAI, an expert in AI infrastructure (including liquid cooling and high density solutions), and Sanmina Corporation, a specialist in advanced manufacturing, have announced a strategic partnership that seeks to revolutionise AI-driven data centres. Together, the companies are striving to set new standards in efficiency, flexibility and sustainability, catering to the ever-growing demands of AI-driven, high-performance computing environments. “Our partnership with Sanmina amplifies DeepCoolAI’s mission to pioneer cooling innovations for AI-driven data centres,” says Kris Holla, Founder and CEO of DeepCoolAI. “By integrating our technology, innovation and AI customised solutions with Sanmina’s global footprint and manufacturing expertise, we empower customers to achieve greater efficiency, unparalleled performance and high availability at scale. Together, we are building a future filled with unparalleled possibilities." Hari Pillai, President, Technology Components Group at Sanmina, comments, “Leveraging Sanmina’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities around the world, as well as the depth and experience of our design and manufacturing teams that have successfully brought multiple Open Compute Project (OCP) rack and power solutions to market, this partnership ensures rapid deployment of reliable, high-quality AI solutions tailored to each customer's unique needs. “From liquid-to-liquid and liquid-to-air Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) to prefabricated modular high density solutions, DeepCoolAI and Sanmina are equipping data centres with the tools to exceed operational goals. The portfolio also emphasises seamless rack level integration with liquid cooling and high density power, enabling customers to deploy cooling systems with high availability and flexibility at scale.” “Our strategic alliance with DeepCoolAI brings an unprecedented combination of innovation and scalability to the data centre market. Together, we’re delivering future-proof AI infrastructure solutions that optimise efficiency and sustainability for the next generation of AI driven workloads. We are committed to the fast-growing data centre market with unprecedented scalability and manufacturing capacity to help our customers to turn on data centres faster.” Innovation to set a new benchmark AI-powered precision: Innovative liquid cooling and high density technology for sustainability and rapid scalability. High availability and sustainability at the core: Solutions are designed to meet high availability, stringent environmental standards, aligning with global carbon neutrality goals. Global reach, local support: Sanmina’s robust supply chain ensures consistent delivery of solutions worldwide, backed by regional expertise and customer support.