Projects

STULZ Modular configures data centre at University of Göttingen

STULZ Modular, a provider of modular data centre solutions and a wholly owned subsidiary of STULZ, has announced the completion of an installation at the University of Göttingen in Germany for the Emmy supercomputer, which employs an innovative combination of direct to chip liquid and air cooling. One of the top 100 most powerful supercomputers in the world, Emmy is named after renowned German mathematician, Emmy Noether, who was described by Albert Einstein as one of the most important women in the field of mathematics. The University of Göttingen needed a new data centre to house Emmy, as the existing facilities could not provide the required space and cooling infrastructure. It needed to be a modular construction with a 1.5MW total capacity that could accommodate further expansion, with the deployment of a cooling system that could remove heat density of up to 100kW per rack. Emmy’s power consumption was also a factor, so the implemented solution needed to address this by being as energy efficient and sustainable as possible. "We were given less than two months to design and install a two room modular data centre with a cooling infrastructure, which would be installed on a ground slab and connected to the on-site transformer station," explains Dushy Goonawardhane, Managing Director at STULZ Modular. "Our solution comprises four prefabricated modules – two larger modules cover an area of 85m² and are joined along the spine to accommodate the direct to chip liquid cooled supercomputer. Two smaller modules are also joined along the spine to accommodate air cooled IT equipment in 70m² of space." The entire data centre comprises high performance computers, 1,120kW direct to chip liquid cooled systems with approximately 20% residual heat, high-density racks and STULZ CyberAir and STULZ CyberRow precision air conditioning unit with free cooling. With 96kW per full rack and 11 racks currently in-situ, there is available capacity for up to 14 racks in total. STULZ Modular worked with CoolIT Systems which specialises in scalable liquid cooling solutions for the world’s most demanding computing environments, to incorporate direct to chip liquid cooling to Emmy’s microprocessors. Comprising two liquid loops, the secondary loop provides a flow of cooling fluid from the cooling distribution unit (CDU) to the distribution manifolds and into the servers, where heat is transferred through cold plates into the coolant. The secondary fluid then flows into the heat exchanger in the CDU, where it transfers heat into the primary loop and the absorbed heat energy is carried to a dry cooler and rejected. The direct to chip liquid cooled system removes 78% (74.9kW) of the server heat load. A water-cooled STULZ CyberRow (with free cooling option) air cooling unit removes the remaining 22% (21.1kW) of the heat load produced by components within the server. The CyberRow’s return air temperature is specified at approximately 48°C, supply air temperature at 27-35°C and water temperature at 32-36°C. The University of Göttingen is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and overall energy consumption across its campus. The STULZ modular data centre provides 27% electricity savings at an average 75% load, equating to 3.96GWh per year. Furthermore, compared to a standard air-cooled data centre with a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.56 – the current industry average according to the Uptime Institute – the hybrid direct to chip liquid and air-cooling system provides an overall annual facility PUE of 1.13, with a 1.07 PUE for the liquid cooled supercomputer room alone. STULZ Modular’s Dushy Goonawardhane concludes, "This installation demonstrates our commitment to pushing the boundaries of data centre cooling technology. By combining direct-to-chip liquid cooling with our advanced air-cooling systems, we've created a solution that not only meets the extreme demands of supercomputing but also aligns with the University of Göttingen's sustainability goals. We are excited to share the complexity and learnings from this project in a white paper we have produced in cooperation with the University of Göttingen. For more from STULZ, click here.

Nationwide migrates IT estate to HPE GreenLake cloud

Hewlett Packard Enterprise today announced that Nationwide Building Society has selected HPE GreenLake cloud for its private cloud deployment, enabling it to accelerate its hybrid cloud journey. With the addition of HPE GreenLake Management Services as a strategic cloud services provider, Nationwide is now using the power of cloud technology to support the evolving needs of its customers. In 2018, Nationwide kick-started an ambitious journey to ensure it was primed for the next generation of digital innovation, with its hybrid cloud strategy being driven by the need for different cloud environments for various types of data and workloads. Leveraging the comprehensive capabilities of HPE GreenLake, Nationwide is creating an agile, scalable, secure, resilient, and efficient technology platform. “In today’s world our customers expect us to deliver an always-on service whilst providing new, innovative features that help them better manage their finances,” says Paul Walsh, Director of Infrastructure & Service Delivery, at Nationwide Building Society. “Nationwide’s hybrid cloud strategy is vital to our ability to compete and means we can continue to meet the needs and expectations of our customers. HPE GreenLake cloud is a core component of our hybrid cloud strategy. With them we’re building a cloud platform that will further improve our resilience and agility, enabling us to provide even better levels of service and deliver new capabilities to our developers faster than ever before.” With HPE GreenLake Management Services, Nationwide’s IT team will automate and orchestrate infrastructure management and deliver infrastructure as code. This enables them to focus on innovation, value-add activities and gain better control over application builds and security. Faster release cycles will accelerate the time to market, providing consistent customer experiences across all digital platforms. At the same time, Nationwide can ensure that sufficient controls are in place to manage risk, protect their customers and meet the demands of regulators, while unlocking the value of cloud technology. Nationwide’s hybrid cloud strategy fully embraces cloud economics, enabling efficient monitoring and management of consumption. HPE GreenLake's consumption-based model prevents overprovisioning and allows Nationwide to only pay for capacity that it is using. This is expected to support Nationwide in reducing its IT cost base by at least 30%. Furthermore, a dedicated service within HPE GreenLake cloud gives the building society a clear overview of their energy consumption and emissions, enabling Nationwide to manage its infrastructure more efficiently and reduce the environmental impact. The impact will be further reduced by upcycling and recycling of decommissioned assets, such as the end-of-use compute and storage infrastructure that GreenLake has replaced. “We are proud to support Nationwide with their cloud vision, providing them with enhanced control and security and the reliability and flexibility for growth,” says Matt Harris, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa at HPE. “Nationwide’s modernisation journey showcases the effectiveness of HPE GreenLake cloud, with the storied institution transitioning from complex, legacy technology to a modern, future-proofed hybrid cloud operating model, where a one-size-fits all public cloud could never be the only answer." For more from HPE, click here.

Pure Storage modernises IT infrastructure for AC Milan

Pure Storage, an IT expert that delivers advanced data storage technologies and services, has announced the modernisation of the IT infrastructure of AC Milan, one of the world’s most historic football clubs. The club recognised the potential of technology to help it achieve two strategic goals – delivering the best fan experience possible through online content, and providing the team with data and AI to enhance club performance. At the centre of AC Milan’s fan engagement is its Media House, through which video and social content is produced and delivered. It also supplies critical data to the club’s training centre. The total number of employees and output has risen at the Media House over a three-year period and, as a result, unstructured data volumes had also dramatically increased. Siloed teams, together with a legacy data storage system that was incapable of operating efficiently, posed significant barriers to progress. By adopting the Pure Storage platform, AC Milan gained a powerful, efficient, and secure storage infrastructure that has underpinned its technology transformation initiative. Benefits include: • Fast and Reliable, Low Latency Data Storage: With the Pure Storage Platform, AC Milan can now manage large volumes of unstructured data across multiple sites with very low latency, resulting in major productivity improvements. The Media House team now benefits from 10 times faster content production and delivery. This has helped AC Milan reach over 500 million global fans through enhanced digital experiences.• Enhanced Data Security and Ransomware Protection: AC Milan recognises the importance of data resilience, deploying Pure Storage ActiveDR to achieve near zero Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) metrics. Additionally, Pure Storage SafeMode Snapshots take copies of data which, in the event of a cyber attack, can’t be deleted, modified, or encrypted, mitigating the impact of a ransomware attack.• A Platform for Cutting-Edge AI Innovation: Video footage of training sessions, stored on the Pure Storage Platform, can be analysed using AI, together with player data captured via sensors with the aim of improving performance. Additionally, AC Milan is developing a data lake composed of players’ medical and performance data with the same goal. Maurizio Bonomi, Information Technology Director, AC Milan, says, “Our team’s mission is to support the club and the business across all departments so that we’re achieving excellence on and off the pitch. Pure helped AC Milan modernise our Media House so that content can be delivered across multiple platforms in one-tenth of the time that it used to take. The project has been a great success and has marked a new step in our ongoing evolution into a media company.” Joao Silva, VP EMEA & Latin America, Pure Storage, adds, “We’re thrilled to support AC Milan in its mission to transform the way it connects with fans, and its highly innovative use of AI to improve all-round player performance. The club’s legacy storage couldn’t keep up with its modern, innovative data demands. AC Milan’s Pure Storage platform meets their complex needs. These are cutting-edge initiatives that showcase how the delivery of real time content and AI can benefit football clubs and the welfare of their players.” For more from Pure Storage, click here.

Contingency cooling for Birmingham hospital data centre

ICS Cool Energy, a specialist temperature control solutions company, has delivered a comfort and process temperature control solution for a major hospital in Birmingham. The hospital required an additional 80 kW of cooling capacity for comfort cooling in one of its patient wards, as well as a contingency cooling system for its data centre, which houses sensitive patient and operational data. Both systems were provided as long-term hires, with ICS Cool Energy’s i-Chillers serving as the backbone of these temperature control applications. The hospital approached ICS Cool Energy with two key cooling needs. Firstly, it required a reliable and cost-effective system to deliver air-conditioning for patients’ comfort. Secondly, and more critically, it needed an on-site contingency cooling solution for its data centre. Previously, the hospital relied on external providers. No on-site contingency system meant that in the event of a failure, it had to call in to deliver and install backup equipment. This reactive approach posed a significant risk, as every minute is critical when it comes to data centre cooling. Any delay in restoring cooling could lead to irreversible data loss. Following a comprehensive site assessment and analysis of the hospital’s requirements, ICS Cool Energy’s sales engineers proposed a solution to meet both needs: 1. A process-grade 80 kW i-Chiller to provide comfort cooling for the patient ward. This system was delivered under a rolling 12-month hire agreement, offering the hospital long-term flexibility without capital expenditure. The chiller ensures stable and reliable temperature control, creating a comfortable environment for both patients and staff. 2. To safeguard the hospital’s data centre, ICS Cool Energy installed a 160 kW i-Chiller alongside multiple internal air handling units. This backup system is always on standby and ready to take over should the primary cooling system fail. With this contingency solution in place, the hospital no longer has to rely on external emergency cooling support, significantly reducing the risk of data loss. Grant Spittle, Sales Engineer, ICS Cool Energy, comments, “Had the hospital maintained its previous arrangement of calling in external help during a failure, the data centre could have been severely compromised. Without backup equipment on-site, any failure in the regular cooling system could have resulted in the loss of vital patient and operational data. The new system minimises this risk and ensures continuity and data protection.” The hospital now benefits from two reliable air-conditioning and cooling systems on long-term hire. The i-Chillers provide consistent comfort cooling in the patient ward, contributing to overall patient well-being. Meanwhile, the contingency cooling system helps keeping the hospital’s data centre operating and critical data protected. The on-site backup is ready for immediate activation in the event of a failure, preventing potential data loss and avoiding severe financial and operational consequences. This project highlights ICS Cool Energy’s expertise in delivering efficient, reliable, and cost-effective solutions that give customers peace of mind and operational flexibility. For more from ICS Cool Energy, click here.

Stellium announces Open Compute Project collaboration

Stellium Datacenters, a colocation operator and provider of data centre infrastructure solutions, has announced a strategic Open Compute Project (OCP) collaboration with Submer, a pioneer in advanced immersion cooling technologies, and ExxonMobil, a global immersion cooling fluid manufacturer. Closely aligned with the OCP’s aim of accelerating data centre innovation and efficiency through the development and sharing of open-source hardware designs, the collaboration between Stellium, Submer and ExxonMobil marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable and efficient data centre solutions, Stellium tells us. The three companies will jointly focus on several innovative customer-centric OCP solutions initiatives including: • Immersion Cooling Integration: Submer's state-of-the-art immersion cooling technology will be seamlessly integrated into Stellium Datacenters' infrastructure, enhancing energy efficiency and overall performance. This move aligns with the OCP's focus on driving energy-efficient solutions in data centres. • Sustainable Data Centre Design: The joint project will prioritise sustainable practices, reflecting the commitment of both companies to environmental responsibility. By incorporating Submer's immersion cooling technology, Stellium Datacenters aims to reduce its carbon footprint and energy consumption significantly. • Innovative Hardware Solutions: Stellium Datacenters and Submer will collaborate on developing and optimising hardware solutions based on OCP principles. This will contribute to the evolution of open-source hardware designs, fostering a community-driven approach to innovation. • Enhanced Performance and Reliability: Through this collaboration, Stellium Datacenters seeks to enhance the overall performance and reliability of its data centre infrastructure, providing clients with cutting-edge solutions that meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital landscape. • High Performance Immersion Cooling Fluid: ExxonMobilTM DC 3235 Super, a cooling fluid validated and endorsed by Submer, is set to demonstrate how its heat transfer capabilities and material compatibility effectively contributes to this advanced immersion cooling solution. “We are thrilled to embark on this collaborative journey with Submer, which is seen as one of the leading forces in immersive cooling solutions,” says Ed Bissell, Sales and Marketing Director at Stellium Datacenters. “Being one of only two OCP data centres in the UK, Stellium is excited to be working with Submer on customer-driven solutions which will leverage our respective expertise to advance the OCP's objectives. This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to providing sustainable and efficient data solutions that align with the industry's best practices. By integrating Submer's immersion cooling technology, we are confident in our ability to set new benchmarks for performance, energy efficiency, and environmental responsibility." Oriol Chavanel, Submer Ecosystem Enablement Tech. Lead & OCP Lead, adds, "Collaborating with Stellium Datacenters and ExxonMobil on this Open Compute Project is a testament to our shared commitment to innovation and sustainability. By combining our expertise in immersion cooling with Stellium's cutting-edge data infrastructure, we aim to redefine the standards for data centre efficiency and reliability." Glen Sharkowicz, Global Market Development Manager, adds, “ExxonMobil is proud to collaborate with Stellium Datacenters and Submer on this innovative immersion cooling technology. This collaboration demonstrates our collective commitment to advancing OCP’s objectives and delivering new cooling solutions to the market.” As the project progresses, each company will leverage the expertise of best-of-breed solutions partners and share insights and advancements with the broader tech community, reinforcing their commitment to collaborative and open-source initiatives. For more from Stellium Datacenters, click here.

Full-fibre network enhances operations around the UK’s coastline

A £175 million communications network connecting 163 remote radio sites across 11,000 miles of UK coastline is now operational, ensuring His Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard’s effective frontline emergency response continues for thousands of distress calls from the UK’s waters. Stretching from the Shetland Islands to the Isles of Scilly, it is one of the UK’s largest private broadband networks, with technology partner Telent helping to install 758 miles of new infrastructure. The first installations of the new network, combining full-fibre and microwave technology, began in December 2020, as Telent secured a new 10-year contract earlier in the same year with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to design, build and operate the upgraded network for HM Coastguard. This is part of the MCA’s investment in the Radio Network Infrastructure Replacement Programme (RNIR). “The reliable digital connection and the improved resilience provided by the new network will aid HM Coastguard’s life-saving search and rescue operations for years to come, with Telent on hand to provide its critical expertise,” says Telent CEO, Jo Gretton. “Having first begun working together in 2010, maintaining radio equipment at the remote radio sites and delivering additional support services, Telent and MCA’s relationship has moved from strength to strength.” “The new network provides a firm foundation for the MCA’s potential future and new technology services and projects that only the high performance of a full-fibre network can support,” Jo continues. Lee-on-the-Solent, Crystal Palace, Humber, Bridlington and Brighton Marina were among the first sites switched to the new search and rescue radio network. The remote radio sites cover the whole of the UK coastline, spanning Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England. “The national radio network is integral in supporting our mission of preventing the loss of life on the coast and at sea, enhancing our ability to respond to emergencies across the UK,” says HM Coastguard Assistant Chief Coastguard, Matthew Leat. The upgraded full-fibre connectivity is set to deliver improvements, such as greater bandwidth and security, along with enhanced performance and improved reliability. Now that all 163 remote radio sites have been connected, Telent is providing a fully managed service. As part of this, Telent is monitoring and managing the end-to-end performance, undertaking maintenance activities and implementing technical updates.

SINES data centre partners with Siemens

Start Campus, a company focused on designing, building and operating a new generation of sustainable data centres, has announced a landmark order for transformers from Siemens Energy to power its SIN02-06 buildings - which it says is a key milestone in delivering its 1.2 GW SINES data centre campus in Portugal. This high-demand, long-lead-time equipment - representing over €20m (£16.9m) of investment - will support the construction and fit-out of the second building of SINES DC (SIN02) and underpin its delivery timetable (it's due to be ready for service in 2026). SIN02 will provide its customers with access to up to 180 MW of IT capacity with reliability and redundancy at competitive power prices. This order solidifies the partnership between Siemens Energy and Start Campus, which began with the deployment of market-leading power equipment for SIN01. It also underscores the shared commitment to driving innovation and ensuring the delivery of reliable, sustainable energy solutions in the data centre industry. Rob Dunn, Chief Executive Officer of Start Campus, says, "Placing this order with Siemens Energy highlights our unwavering commitment to meet the growing demands of our customers and deliver on our promises while setting new industry standards. We deeply value Siemens Energy’s support in powering SIN01 and are pleased to strengthen this successful partnership as we advance the campus. Driving the data centre industry forward requires trusted, committed partners like Siemens Energy, and together, we're making it happen." Mark Pilling, Vice President Grid Solutions for Europe and Africa at Siemens Energy, adds, “Data centres power our digital world, and as demand for data and electricity grows, stable access to electricity is crucial. Start Campus’ investment in sustainability is a vital step towards a greener, more connected future. Together with Start Campus, we are committed to advancing the development of critical digital infrastructure that meets the evolving needs of the data centre industry and sets new benchmarks at large scale.” In addition to this significant development for SIN02-06, SIN01 is set to be operational by Q4 2024 with an initial 14 MW of IT capacity. In direct response to the requirements of its customers and, through the use of liquid cooling technologies, its capacity is being expanded to 26 MW. For more from Start Campus, click here.

Gcore raises $60m in Series A funding to drive AI innovation

Gcore, the global edge AI, cloud, network, and security solutions provider, has secured $60 million (£46.4m) in Series A funding from institutional and strategic investors. Led by Wargaming, and with participation from Constructor Capital and Han River (HRZ), this marks the company’s first external capital raise since its inception more than 10 years ago. The funds will be strategically invested in Gcore’s technology and platform, including cutting-edge AI servers powered by NVIDIA GPUs, to drive AI-led innovations. Gcore says that the investment underscores its commitment to delivering advanced edge AI solutions that enhance cloud resource efficiency and ensure data sovereignty. Public organisations, telcos, and global corporations entrust Gcore with their edge workloads due to its expansive network, strong presence in emerging markets, and proven cloud capabilities in AI training and inference. Gcore serves customers across diverse industries, including media and entertainment, gaming, technology, financial services, and retail. Built for the edge and addressing a $200 billion-plus market opportunity, Gcore’s cloud infrastructure powers both the training of large language models (LLMs) and the inference of AI applications at the edge. This is enabled by Gcore’s global network of over 180 edge nodes across six continents, including more than 25 cloud locations, with a total network capacity exceeding 200 Tbps. Sean Lee, Chief Corporate Development Officer of Wargaming, comments, "Gcore has been our partner for over 10 years, helping us to deliver games to hundreds of millions of players worldwide. We are excited to support the company on this journey and look forward to helping them become uniquely positioned to lead high-speed AI model training and inference anywhere in the world." Matthias Winter, Managing Partner of Constructor Capital, adds, "Constructor Capital is excited to invest in Gcore, a leading player in the AI IaaS space, in a booming market with CAGRs of over 40%. We believe in Gcore’s unique value proposition as a comprehensive provider offering a wide range of edge solutions, high automation, attractive TCO, extremely low latency, and an experienced management team. We look forward to a successful journey together in the years to come." Christopher Koh, Managing Partner of HRZ, notes, “We are thrilled to invest in Gcore for its forward-thinking approach to global low-latency AI infrastructure and innovative edge AI solutions. We are especially impressed by its leadership in APAC, collaboration with world-class partners, and strategic alignment with emerging AI opportunities in the region.” Lastly, Andre Reitenbach, CEO of Gcore, says, “We are on the cusp of an AI revolution that will transform how companies operate. Gcore is perfectly positioned to connect the world to AI, anywhere and anytime, by delivering innovative AI, cloud, and edge solutions. The growing demand for AI infrastructure from enterprises and SMBs alike highlights the importance of this significant investment. We are thrilled by the support of investors like Wargaming, Constructor Capital, and Han River Partners as we enhance our extensive network of AI servers and reinforce the powerful edge services we offer.” For more from Gcore, click here.

TA Realty and EdgeConneX to develop DC campus in Atlanta

TA Realty, a provider of real estate investment management services, and EdgeConneX, a global provider of data centre solutions, have announced the joint development of a 324MW hyperscale data centre campus in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to acquiring the site, TA Realty, through its dedicated hyperscale development arm TA Digital Group, will manage power procurement and secure all necessary utilities, zoning approvals, permits, and entitlements, addressing the complexities and challenges inherent in these processes. EdgeConneX will bring its comprehensive experience in designing, building and operating data centres. By combining their respective expertise, both companies will aim to ensure the successful delivery of this project with the goal of bringing the site live on time and on budget. This collaborative effort brings together the strengths of each company, in an effort to provide a comprehensive and efficient data centre development process from inception to completion that is optimised for hyperscale customer requirements. TA Realty's extensive background in real estate and its power-first approach to data centres are enhanced by its rich legacy in the Atlanta market, coupled with its broad presence in other Tier 1 markets. Positioned strategically in a key Atlanta sub-market, this location serves as a crucial element in the company's broader plan to develop large-scale data centre complexes in major metropolitan areas. This initiative also highlights TA Digital Group's dedication to sustainable development and proactive community involvement, the company says. Through that dedication, and by harnessing the existing resources and infrastructure of Atlanta, TA Realty aims to not only ensure the enduring value of its assets, but also foster a positive social impact. Leveraging a foundation of innovation, EdgeConneX drives the future of data centres by enabling customers to achieve their vision with customised, build-to-suit data centre solutions on a global scale. Headquartered in Northern Virginia, Singapore, and Amsterdam, EdgeConneX builds infrastructure solutions where, how and when customers need data centre capacity, delivering capacity for content, cloud and AI service providers. With over 80 data centres across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South America, EdgeConneX delivers hyperlocal to hyperscale to hyperdense data centre solutions globally and sustainably. Construction is set to commence later this year, with the first phase of the data centre campus expected to be operational by 2026. This development supports the growing demands for low latency, high-performance computing driven by advancements in AI, cloud services, and other emerging technologies. As businesses increasingly rely on these technologies, the need for resilient and scalable digital infrastructure continues to rise, making this project an essential component of the region's digital growth.

New Oslo data centre to double as a green urban space

Drawing on the competencies of international engineering consultancy, COWI, the new Skygard data centre is creating highly secure, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly operations in the centre of Oslo. Skygard is owned by Norwegian companies Telenor, Hafslund, HitecVision, and Analysys Mason Nordic, which have decided to invest 2.4 billion Norwegian kroner (£1.7bn) in the project. For Skygard, it's essential to create a data centre that will address national security, data safety, and sustainability, while strengthening Norway's AI position in the process. Thus, the Skygard data centre, which will use renewable energy sources, will reportedly be one of the most energy-efficient data centres in Norway. The excess heat from the plant will be utilised and integrated into the district heating network, and the circular energy design of Skygard could serve as a pilot project for future data centres in Norway. The future of data centre design Skygard contracted engineering consultancy COWI to deliver a complete solution due to the company's broad experience within the design of data centres, sustainable energy, engineering solutions, and architecture. Meanwhile, Norwegian company, A-lab, was responsible for the architectural design of the centre. Located centrally in Hovinbyen in Oslo, Skygard will take an innovative approach by transforming an industrial brownfield area into a green public space for the citizens of the Norwegian capital. The choice of location means the site itself will have minimal impact on existing biodiversity and contribute to urban greening. The location, however, also represents a series of challenges since the site is placed between a city street and a light rail track. Tommy Lundegaard, Business Development Director at COWI, says, "In a time where data centres are facing increased scrutiny due to energy consumption and land use, Skygard is a visionary project that points the way to the future way of creating data centres. At COWI, we are excited to be an integral part of Skygard's project because it allows us to apply our capacities to fulfil the wishes and needs of our client." Moving from an old data centre to a modern one like Skygard can reduce power requirements by between 50-70%. Utilising surplus heat for district heating will also help energy efficiency and bring down the environmental impact of data centres. National security, data safety, and environmental responsibility The Skygard data centre will provide colocation facilities for multiple tenants, and it will be operational in the first half of 2025. Elise Lindeberg, CEO of Skygard, comments, "With the investment in Skygard and other data centres, we will provide Norway with a much-needed data centre capacity that prioritises national security, data safety, and sustainability. The current geopolitical situation has made the need for secure solutions more important, but there is also an urgent need to improve the environmental footprint of data centres. With Skygard, we address all these issues and set a new standard for the future." In addition to the first centre, Skygard has ambitions to build two more data centres in the capital region. Once fully developed, the three data centres are planned to have a combined capacity of 40MW.