Sustainability

atNorth joins Danish Data Center Industry Association

atNorth, a Nordic colocation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence service provider, has announced that it is joining the Danish Data Center Association (DDI) as part of its continued investment into the country’s data centre industry. The business recently announced the development of its second site in Denmark, DEN02 and its first site, DEN01, is due to be operational by Q2 2025. atNorth has also recently announced the appointment of Jeff Kjeldsen as Operations Director for Denmark as it aims to deliver large-scale infrastructure operations that demonstrate leading technologies and adhere to stringent industry standards. The DDI aims to create stakeholder opportunities by promoting sustainability, best practice operations and cross sector collaborations. These are factors that are a core part of atNorth’s business ethos, and the business is proud to help shape a thriving future for the country. “The Danish Data Center Industry is expanding rapidly, but it is important that we evolve in a sustainable way”, says Henrik Hansen, CEO at the Danish Data Center Industry. “We welcome Nordic data centre leader, atNorth, as a member of our organisation and hope we can capitalise on a shared ethos of technical excellence and environmental protection”. “We are proud to join the Danish Data Center Industry Association”, adds Jeff Kjeldsen, Operations Director for Denmark at aNorth. “Denmark, alongside its Nordic neighbours, boasts ideal conditions for data centre development. The country’s beneficial climate, excellent connectivity and an abundance of renewable energy has fuelled the rapid expansion of the industry, and we are delighted to help guide the process to ensure sustainability and best practice excellence”. For more from atNorth, click here.

Digital Realty data centre becomes home to SuperComputer

Sesterce, a company helping to shape the future of artificial intelligence with high-performance GPU SuperComputers, today announced the launch of a new SuperComputer featuring NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs hosted in Digital Realty's data centre in Marseille, France. The state-of-the-art SuperComputer helps to tackle the growing demand for powerful cloud GPU solutions and offers a decarbonised AI as service to Sesterce’s customers. The cluster is equipped with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs interconnected through InfiniBand technology. These cards provide excellent scalability and performance, contributing to optimal energy efficiency for AI. With this SuperComputer, Sesterce empowers clients to develop highly scalable AI projects with optimal performance and sustainability, providing flexibility for AI projects of any size.The use of AI has been democratised, resulting in demand for storage capacity and computing power continuing to rise. In 2023, France had over 600 start-ups dedicated to AI in the country - a 24% increase since 2021 - and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. However, this exceptional growth parallels a significant rise in energy consumption, raising environmental concerns. Youssef El Manssouri, CEO of Sesterce, comments, "Actors in the field have a role to play. Those that share the same values should work together to offer more environmentally responsible computing power." This breakthrough was made possible through collective efforts. The cluster will benefit directly from Digital Realty's ongoing programme dedicated to minimising the environmental impact of its data centres. These actions include enhancing energy efficiency and procuring renewable energy with a strong focus on locally sourced renewables, ensuring that its entire European portfolio continues to be matched with 100% renewable energy. Additionally, Digital Realty is committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its European data centre portfolio by 2030, alongside a 68% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions globally (against a 2018 baseline), and a 24% reduction in Scope 3 emissions globally within the same timeframe. Youssef adds, "This cluster relies on the synergy of skills, with each party bringing the best of their expertise to create and offer an intensive-ready cluster." This cluster marks a turning point in the field, the companies believe, demonstrating a successful marriage between technical innovation and sustainability. For more from Digital Realty, click here.

Lennox launches new business to support data centre industry

Lennox, a provider of energy-efficient climate control solutions, is launching a new business to address the specific cooling challenges of the data centre industry. Lennox Data Centre Solutions is a standalone business that will provide innovative, sustainable cooling solutions and services directly to the data centre market across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The global data centre market looks set to grow at around 9.1% CAGR through to 2030. In Europe alone, market studies estimate the current data centre capacity at 12,23GW, expanding at a rate of 600-700 facilities a year. The heat generated by these new data centres will require efficient and effective processing, be that through heat rejection, heat reuse or a combination of the two. Today’s demanding energy and performance standards require heat rejection products that offer precision, efficiency and reliability.A natural extension of its existing expertise, Lennox Data Centre Solutions intends to bring Lennox's high level of product and service excellence to customers in the data centre market. “Our experience has led us to a position where we understand that data centre solutions, especially for cooling processes, are bespoke from project to project,” says Matt Evans, CEO of Lennox Data Centre Solutions. “Backed by renewed investment and focus, the business will lead with an engineering consultancy approach to the design of data centre heat-rejection solutions. We aim to treat every project on individual merit, working closely with customers to create the optimal solution based on our full end-to-end product suite.” Lennox Data Centre Solutions has deep knowledge in data centre design and build excellence. This arrives courtesy of its existing experience in this sector as part of Lennox, bolstered by a number of strategic new recruits with proven expertise in data centre cooling solutions. The ability to tap into the comprehensive resources of Lennox EMEA is significant. With manufacturing facilities in Lyon and Dijon in France, Burgos in Spain, and fully certified Eurovent test facilities to match, each plant features advanced production capabilities staffed by highly skilled professionals to ensure quality and reliability. Lennox Data Centre Solutions is offering a full portfolio of cooling solutions for data centres. Adapting some products from the existing Lennox portfolio, others have been designed and manufactured from the ground up. The range spans close control units (CCU’s), computer room air handler (CRAH) units, fan wall units (FWU), cooling distribution units (CDUs), chillers, and both adiabatic and conventional dry coolers.With the new business, Lennox can call upon a team of over 100 in-house technical engineers supporting product commissioning, service and maintenance across Europe alone. With the largest team of its type in the region, data centres can expect seamless integration, installation and support for their bespoke projects. Ultimately, the goal is to become the preferred partner for enterprise, colocation and hyperscale data centre operators seeking efficient, effective and sustainable data centre cooling solutions. This ambition aligns with Lennox’s long-standing commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and efficiency. Lennox Data Centre Solutions is backing its expectations for rapid growth with an aggressive recruitment campaign that will further build the EMEA team over coming months. Alongside its direct support for data centres, the new business will also look to provide support through an exclusive partner network of consultants and system integrators.

NVC Lighting to launch new products at DataCentres Ireland

Visitors to this year’s DataCentres Ireland exhibition can learn how NVC Lighting’s new products, designed specifically for the sector, can contribute to increased energy efficiency and cost savings. The ‘around the clock’ operational nature of data centres means that dependable lighting has long been a crucial component in allowing for optimum performance. Now, with the global focus on sustainability and energy saving, NVC Lighting will be launching its BROADWAY range, which utilises LED lighting technology to offer data centre buildings a more efficient solution than ever before, to the European market. Visitors to the two-day exhibition and conference, being held from 20-21 November at the RDS in Dublin, can speak with the NVC Lighting team at Stand 237, who will be showcasing the new BROADWAY products and a range of regular fittings, as well as examples of its work to support data centres. High-quality lighting enhances visibility, reduces the risk of accidents, and supports efficient maintenance operations. The BROADWAY range is specifically designed to offer energy-efficient, low-glare solutions that ensure a safe and productive data centre environment. The NVC Lighting team, which supports clients in a range of sectors across the UK, have focused on optimising its high performance, energy efficient products to contribute to the need for Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) reduction. Phil Brown, Product & Marketing Director at NVC Lighting, says, “We’re excited to launch the optimised BROADWAY range at DataCentres Ireland – these are products which can have a major impact on energy efficiency across the sector, with a relatively low outlay compared to major investments elsewhere. “Working with an efficient and effective LED lighting can lead to significant cost savings in a shorter period of time – over the longer term, their lifespan ensures that it’s an investment which stands the test of time. “This investment not only reduces operating costs but also contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly data centre.” For more from DataCentres Ireland, click here.

Finning to address sustainability challenges at DataCentres Ireland

Finning UK & Ireland, a dealer of Cat equipment and power solutions, will address sustainability challenges at the upcoming DataCentres Ireland event, leading discussions on sustainable power solutions for the data centre industry. The event will take place on 20-21 at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Dublin, Ireland. Graham Scandrett, Electric Power Head of Projects Sales at Finning UK & Ireland, will participate in a panel discussion titled ‘Onsite standby generation - how to be sustainable’ to explore how renewable energy sources can be integrated as efficiently and pragmatically as possible. With over two decades of experience in the electric power industry, Graham is set to bring valuable insights to the conversation. At the event, Finning will be on hand to discuss its expertise in power solutions at stand 522, as well as discuss the latest Cat power generation technologies designed to meet the evolving needs of data centres. These include the Cat 3516E high transient standby generator set (genset), delivering 2.8MW from a compact footprint, and the Cat G3520K genset which offers flexible fuel options including natural gas and biogas. The panel discussion will explore the complexities of power generation for data centres, addressing key industry challenges such as the integration of renewable energy sources, balancing energy security with sustainability objectives and meeting stringent emissions regulations while maintaining operational efficiency. Graham explains, “Data centres are currently balancing their energy requirements with the necessity for sustainable and reliable power solutions. If you want to reduce carbon intensity, data centres need an energy mix including sustainable energy which, by virtue, is not dispatchable. This is where we can step in to provide sustainable solutions and support. “We know the national grid consists of an energy mix with objectives to further increase the percentage of that mix from renewable sources. At the same time, consumers are requesting more and larger grid connections to keep pace with sustainability and growth plans. When it comes to grid connections, there are many factors involved. In an environment where energy from renewables is not a constant of time, a user’s ability to take a flexible grid connection to reduce demand on the grid at peak times can be a key factor. “At Finning, we are right in the middle of addressing industry complexities like these. For example, if you have a flexible connection and requested to come offline, we can work with clients to offer on-site energy – from a range of fuel sources including liquid fuel gensets – which can operate on lower carbon intense HVO, as well as hydrogen-ready gas gensets. “Liquid fuel in particular is an ideal fuel because – under and within the footprint of a generator enclosure – you’ve got a fuel tank providing roughly 48 hours of fuel, meaning you’ve got this amount of energy security on site. Liquid fuels – by virtue of their chemical makeup – have a high energy density. As such, compared to other fuel types, 48 hours of on-site storage is practical, which in my opinion means that liquid fuels will be part of the energy mix for at least the near to medium term. I’ll be talking about solutions like liquid fuel as part of my panel discussion and can’t wait to help our customers and attendees alike navigate some of the challenges faced by data centres today.” Attendees are invited to visit the Finning stand and attend the panel discussion to learn more about achieving sustainable power solutions in the data centre industry. The session will take place on 21 November at 11.40am. Visitors to the Finning stand can expect to engage with experts on topics such as strategies for integrating renewable energy with reliable backup power, the role of sustainable fuels in data centre power generation, and the latest solutions in power system efficiency and emissions reduction. For more from Finning, click here.

Schneider provides update on sustainability programme

Schneider Electric has announced the latest results of its Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) programme and its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. Recently recognised as the World’s Most Sustainable Company by TIME and Statista, Schneider Electric’s SSI programme monitors and measures the company’s progress across a range of transformative Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets set for 2025. By tracking its sustainability performance and publishing quarterly results, Schneider Electric keeps the momentum for its 11 global and local ambitions and maintains its corporate social responsibility goals. At the end of the quarter, the overall Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact (SSI) score came in at 7.29 out of 10, which is well on track to reach the 2024 end-year target of 7.40, with two major milestones reached: Firstly, Schneider surpassed its goal of providing access to green and reliable energy to 50 million people more than one year before its end-2025 target. This was achieved through projects where Schneider’s solar power solutions were installed on public facilities across Africa and India. For example, in Kenya, Nigeria, and India, new hybrid solar solutions were added to health clinics attended by roughly 2 million people, and in India, over 700 schools were powered by clean energy benefitting around 120,000 students. Schneider is now focused on further ramping up these efforts so that by 2030, cumulatively, 100 million people will have gained access to green electricity since the start of the programme in 2009. Secondly, Schneider also crossed a key threshold in its efforts to foster learning, upskilling, and development for all generations having now trained over 763,000 people in energy management. For example, Schneider Electric and its Foundation recently collaborated with Enactus, enabling university students from 10 countries to develop entrepreneurial solutions that address social issues related to the energy transition. Furthermore, Schneider made considerable strides in halving the carbon impact of its top suppliers through its Zero Carbon Project, resulting in a 36% reduction of its operational CO2 emissions. This was facilitated by several renewable energy workshops held in the USA, Europe, and China, as well as over 20 specialised webinars aimed at supporting suppliers in their decarbonisation endeavours. “Our achievements this quarter showcase the scale of our impact, with local projects playing a pivotal role in achieving our ambitious goals,” says Xavier Denoly, Schneider Electric’s Senior Vice-President of Sustainable Development. “Despite these great results, our work is far from over. We must further intensify our global decarbonisation efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, benefiting people and planet.” Find more details about the results and the latest impactful initiatives in the Q3 2024 report of Schneider’s Sustainability Impact programme, including the progress dashboard: Other key recognitions and awards achieved during the quarter: Recognised as Industry Leader in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment for the third consecutive year Received the RE100 Changemaker Award from the Climate Group at Climate Week NYC, in recognition of a ground-breaking tax credit transfer renewable energy project in Texas (USA) Named as a Leader in Verdantix’s Green Quadrant: Building Decarbonisation Consulting Ranked with the highest Social Benchmark score in its industry by World Benchmarking Alliance, underlining sustained efforts to act ethically and provide and promote decent work and human rights Recognised for the ‘Digital Upskilling for All’ programme by Brandon Hall Group’s prestigious Gold Award for Learning and Development   For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

CEOs adjust net zero timescales and investment, report finds

New research has revealed that CEOs across key European countries are shifting timescales and investment around net zero goals as companies continue to grapple with balancing profitability and sustainability in a volatile energy market. The survey of 400 CEOs in charge of companies with turnover above €200m from across the UK, Germany, France and Italy – commissioned by energy solutions specialist, Aggreko – revealed the majority of respondents (95%) have changed their net zero timescales in light of energy supply and pricing issues. As other pressures face leaders, only 12% of respondents claimed that speed of decarbonisation was their top priority, with most claiming reducing energy costs and delivering commercial advantage were among the top priorities. The research – presented in Aggreko’s latest report, Rebalancing the Energy Transition – has also revealed that intention to invest in energy transitions is still present, with 80% expecting to increase investment in the next 12 months. However as balancing cost and commercial viability with ESG goals continues to pose a challenge, most investment increase will only be marginal. With access to finance being a challenge, Aggreko is raising the need for companies to lean on their supply chains to help meet the requirements of the energy transition in the timescales needed – all while balancing profitability with ESG goals. The company has launched this latest report to give leaders insights for navigating the energy transition into the future. Robert Wells, Aggreko’s Europe President, says, “It is not surprising that our research has uncovered leaders across Europe are looking for change when it comes to their energy supply chain. In a tough economic landscape, grid instability and connection delays, price uncertainty and looming ESG targets are impacting many businesses’ energy transitions. “With appetite for decentralisation and alternative power agreements on the rise, we have launched our report to help leaders understand the market and how it is evolving, in addition to the procurement methods at their disposal. Key to this is providing access to solutions that ensure that high energy using industries can remain profitable during their energy transition without compromising on ESG commitments.” Supporting energy intensive businesses across Europe with access to the latest renewable technologies, alternative procurement agreements and expertise to correctly implement it is central to Aggreko’s sustainability framework, Energising Change. In addition to guiding its own energy transition, the framework is designed to support the transition to a renewable energy infrastructure while at the same time enabling sectors such as manufacturing, construction data centres, utilities and infrastructure and petrochemical refineries to meet net zero goals. Robert adds, “We are a strategic supply chain partner to organisations across Europe. Working closely with many customers from energy intensive industries, we have already been working to develop renewable energy developments, establish alternative power agreements and make technologies available for projects imminently. Particularly when capital is at a premium, supporting customers with controlling costs and energy supply will remain a key part of ensuring a smooth energy transition.” For more information and to read Rebalancing the Energy Transition, click here. For more from Aggreko, click here.

Bain Capital and Aquila to build sustainable data centre platform

Bain Capital, a private, multi-asset alternative investment firm, and Aquila Group, a private investment company and pioneer in sustainable assets, have announced a significant partnership in the data centre sector. As part of the cooperation, Bain Capital is acquiring an 80% stake in AQ Compute, the data centre subsidiary of Aquila Group. This strategic alliance, with a targeted multi-billion Euro investment volume, is aimed at significantly accelerating AQ Compute’s plans to develop and operate sustainable data centres for hyperscale and AI customers across Europe. Founded by Aquila Group in 2020, AQ Compute provides modular and AI-ready data centre and colocation services, primarily powered by clean energy. With significant investment, the company launched its first sustainable data centre near Oslo in 2024, with additional projects underway in Barcelona, Milan and beyond. Bain Capital supports this growth through its capital investment and global expertise in the data centre industry, including its successful development of Bridge Data Centres in Asia. Together, the partners aim to build a leading European data centre platform, utilising clean energy wherever feasible. Ali Haroon, a Partner at Bain Capital, says, “The European data centre sector presents an attractive market opportunity, driven by robust cloud demand, a need for high-performance computing and AI deployments, and data sovereignty across the region. Through this partnership with Aquila Group, we bring a differentiated, renewable energy angle to tackle the ever-growing power challenges in this critical part of Europe’s infrastructure.” Rafael Coste Campos, a Managing Director at Bain Capital, adds, “We are thrilled to bring our deep European real estate sector expertise and our multi-layered experience growing companies with complex infrastructure services, tenant relationships and talent attraction to AQ Compute. Leveraging our global data centre expertise, we are well-positioned to meet the needs of this ever growing and critically important sector and to build a market leading data centre operation in Europe.” Michael Huber, a Principal at Bain Capital, notes, “Having invested more than $1 billion in real estate over the past three years, Bain Capital’s first European investment in data centres means we now have a truly global platform. This investment will benefit from and complement our experience investing in and building one of the largest data centres in Asia – Chindata and backing DC BLOX in the US.” Roman Rosslenbroich, Co-Founder and CEO of Aquila Group, comments, “Through our partnership with Bain Capital, we are well positioned to expand AQ Compute’s capabilities and solidify its role as a key player in Europe’s digital infrastructure. The rapid growth in data demands presents both a challenge and an opportunity - while more data centres are essential, they must be sustainable. Aquila will invest several hundred-million Euros alongside Bain Capital’s larger commitment, with Aquila Capital providing co-investments. With our continued 20% stake, we will ensure AQ Compute’s growth aligns with our long-term vision for sustainable infrastructure, leveraging synergies with Aquila Clean Energy, a major developer and independent power producer in the clean energy space.“ Markus Holzer, Chairman of AQ Compute, concludes, “At AQ Compute, we are uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for data processing by combining innovative, AI-ready infrastructure with a commitment to sustainability. This partnership with Bain Capital not only accelerates our development pipeline but also allows us to set new standards in sustainable data centre operations across Europe.” For more from Bain Capital, click here.

iMasons appoints Mike Meyer to Advisory Council

Infrastructure Masons (iMasons), a global, non-profit, digital infrastructure professional association connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all, has appointed Mike Meyer, Managing Director of Portman Partners - the expert executive search business for data centre people - to its Advisory Council. The iMasons Advisory Council is a leadership committee comprised of industry specialists who design, manage and operate some of the largest and most progressive digital infrastructure portfolios in the world. The purpose of the Council is to help foster growth within the iMasons Global Community across its four strategic priorities: to enhance education opportunities; champion diversity and inclusion; inspire sustainability; and promote innovative and technical excellence. Upon his appointment, Mike will be representing Portman Partners across all of iMasons’ regional councils, sharing his knowledge and experience to help address global industry issues including the challenges surrounding attracting and retaining the talent required to grow the industry, providing input and advice on strategies tailored to the dynamics of the given region. Santiago Suinaga, iMasons CEO, says, “Having worked within the data centre and digital infrastructure space for more than 25 years, Mike’s expertise will prove invaluable. The work that he and his team do places them in a unique position with access to people and insights across the industry, putting Mike close to the strategic priorities that our Advisory Council is here to support.” Mike adds, “Joining the Council is a great step forward for Portman. I am delighted at the opportunity to be a part of such a diverse and dedicated group of professionals committed to bringing their knowledge, experience and passion to the table. This appointment serves to reinforce the dedication and commitment of everyone at Portman and all those already giving their time and energy on the Council, supporting the future of our industry.” For more from iMasons, click here.

DigitalBridge to Acquire Yondr Group

DigitalBridge Group, a global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure, today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Yondr Group, a global developer and operator of hyperscale data centres, through one of its managed investment funds. Yondr has established itself as a key player in the digital infrastructure sector, addressing the complex data centre capacity demands of the world's largest technology companies through the development and operation of sustainable data centres worldwide. With a diverse portfolio of campuses, Yondr is well-positioned to meet the soaring demand for advanced data processing capabilities driven by ongoing digital transformation, the shift to cloud solutions, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The company has more than 420MW of capacity committed to hyperscalers, with significant additional land to support a total potential capacity of over 1GW. The DigitalBridge Fund’s strategic investment will drive the development of cutting-edge, sustainable data centres, backed by long-term, stable revenue streams from investment-grade clients. "Yondr’s assets and strong relationships with leading hyperscale clients align with DigitalBridge’s vision to support the future of digital infrastructure," says Jon Mauck, Senior Managing Director at DigitalBridge. "Yondr enhances our existing data centre portfolio and strengthens our ability to support hyperscalers. Together, we are well-positioned to capitalise on the increasing demand for hyperscale data centres – fuelled by AI, cloud computing, and the ongoing digital transformation across industries." Yondr will continue to operate as an independent company within DigitalBridge’s portfolio, leveraging DigitalBridge’s support, expertise and experience. This partnership will enhance Yondr’s ability to serve its clients more effectively while accelerating global expansion efforts. The deal is expected to close in early 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. For more from Yondr Group, click here.