Data Centres

Data centre consumption set to double, Finning reports

Finning UK & Ireland, a dealer of Cat machines, engines, equipment, and power products, is urging data centre operators to accelerate the take-up of sustainable backup power solutions in response to projected surge in energy consumption for the sector. According to Deloitte, global data centre electricity consumption is expected to double to 1,065 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030 – equivalent to 4% of total global energy consumption – driven by power-intensive generative AI applications. The increasing strain on power grids – coupled with the rapid expansion of data centres – highlights the urgent need for reliable, sustainable backup power solutions. “The data centre industry faces unprecedented challenges as we approach 2025,” explains Graham Scandrett, Head of Electric Power Sales at Finning UK & Ireland. “The growth of AI and cloud computing is driving increases in power consumption. And although the sector is making strides towards sustainability, the demand for reliable backup power solutions remains paramount. This creates an urgent need to balance environmental responsibilities with operational resilience. “Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is emerging as a practical solution for data centre operators looking to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining the reliability of traditional backup power systems. With whole-lifecycle carbon emissions approximately 70% lower than conventional diesel, HVO offers an immediate pathway to sustainability without compromising on performance or reliability.” Graham continues, “We’re seeing a growing interest from operators to use sustainable fuels during both the testing phase and in operation as an alternative to diesel to achieve incremental reductions in the total carbon intensity of fuels while maintaining optimal backup power performance. The flexibility of HVO as a drop-in replacement, combined with its stability and storage advantages over other alternative low-carbon fuels, positions it as one of several strategic choices for data centre operators. “As the data centre industry continues to expand, operators are increasingly focused on developing robust and sustainable backup power strategies. The next few years will be critical for the data centre industry as it balances rapid growth with environmental responsibilities. Forward-thinking operators are already exploring mixed-fuel strategies and investing in compatible generator systems to future-proof their operations. Success will depend on choosing the right partners and technologies to navigate this transition, particularly as we see the convergence of AI-driven demand growth and increasingly stringent environmental regulations.” Finning supports data centre operators with comprehensive power solutions that enable the transition to more sustainable backup power options while ensuring uninterrupted operations and system reliability. For more from Finning, click here.

Harrison Street and PowerHouse sell Virginia data centre

A joint venture between Harrison Street, an investment management firm focused on alternative real assets, and PowerHouse Data Centers, a real estate developer for next-generation hyperscale data centres, announced the sale of ABX-1, a 265,580-square foot powered shell data centre with 60 MW of power, located in Ashburn, Virginia. The sale marks the successful completion of the joint venture’s first development together. Launched in January 2022, the PowerHouse and Harrison Street joint venture partnership has committed $3.2 billion to develop powered shell data centres representing nearly 6 million square feet of data centre space in Northern Virginia, Dallas and Reno. ABX-1 was fully leased to global data centre company, CyrusOne, ahead of the data centre's final completion in October 2023. "This project reflects the strength of the Northern Virginia data centre market, which has been the nation's fastest-growing data centre market for the past five years,” says Michael Hochanadel, Managing Director and Head of Digital Assets for Harrison Street. “Since forming our joint venture with PowerHouse in 2021, we've successfully executed our strategy of developing flexible powered shell facilities in Northern Virginia that meet the exacting specifications of leading cloud providers and colocation users. We look forward to continuing this partnership and expanding our portfolio across Northern Virginia and other strategic US markets where robust digital infrastructure is in high demand.” The sale of ABX-1 is a notable milestone for PowerHouse’s joint venture with Harrison Street. “PowerHouse’s innovation and expertise, coupled with Harrison Street's valuable partnership, enables us to deliver high-quality data centre infrastructure with unbeatable speed to market," explains Doug Fleit, Co-Founder and CEO of PowerHouse Data Centers. "With several projects underway across the country and a growing pipeline of developments, we remain laser-focused on serving the growing demands of hyperscale providers and creating long-term value for our communities and the broader industry." Following the sale of ABX-1, PowerHouse and Harrison Street have three campus developments completed or underway in Northern Virginia, with an executed lease, pre-lease, or letter of intent for 100% of the buildable square feet. In addition to the Virginia portfolio, the joint venture recently purchased land and started construction on PowerHouse Reno (in Reno, Nevada), and PowerHouse Irving (in Dallas, Texas), to develop new state-of-the-art data centre campuses to address the needs of these rapidly growing, highly connected data centre markets. Since 2018, Harrison Street has committed over $5.4 billion to powered shells, carrier hotels, colocation sites, and dark fibre platforms. Over this time, the firm has expanded its relationships with dedicated operating partners and hyperscale users, raised discretionary capital for a dedicated digital vehicle andrealised on its first data centre investments. The sale of ABX-1 continues to demonstrate the growing investor demand across alternative real estate sectors. For more from PowerHouse, click here.

Innovorg and IDCA to transform workforce development

Innovorg, a skills-building and workforce optimisation platform for cloud, hosting, and data centre teams, announced today that it has partnered with The International Data Center Authority (IDCA), an expert in application ecosystem standardisation and education. The partnership will integrate IDCA's comprehensive training content, certification programmes and standards into Innovorg's cutting-edge platform, creating a powerful solution for companies seeking to develop and optimise their technical workforce across the entire digital application ecosystem. The collaboration focuses on creating adaptive learning experiences for digital infrastructure sector professionals by integrating IDCA's vendor-agnostic content and effective skill development programmes into Innovorg’s master content library, which now includes both paid and public IDCA resources alongside supplementary content. Innovorg’s platform takes this further by automatically curating relevant IDCA content and helping prioritise the right learning materials based on individual skills gaps, company preferences, and goals. The platform sets targeted learning objectives, tracks engagement levels, and ensures alignment with personal development goals, creating a structured, personalised educational journey. "We are excited to partner with IDCA to bring its world-class training content and industry standards to our platform," says Elya McCleave, CEO and Founder of Innovorg. "This collaboration will enable us to offer an unparalleled learning experience to our clients, combining IDCA's global expertise with our innovative skills development and workforce optimisation tools." Kurtis Friesen, Head of North America for IDCA, adds, "Partnering with Innovorg allows us to extend our reach and impact in the industry. By leveraging Innovorg's platform, we can deliver our highly effective training content to a broader audience and help Innovorg address the critical skills shortage across the application ecosystem, including cloud, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, IoT, big data, and data centre sectors." In addition to content delivery, Innovorg enhances learning engagement by generating AI-based quizzes and simulations that complement IDCA’s material as needed, reinforcing comprehension and practical application. IDCA badge delivery to Innovorg clients allows for instant, globally recognisable certification, giving professionals immediate, tangible recognition for completed courses. By incorporating IDCA's global standards and best practices, Innovorg ensures that professionals are equipped with up-to-date, internationally recognised knowledge in the field of data centre infrastructure, data centre operation, data centre engineering, data centre technology, and data centre management. This partnership comes at a crucial time for the industry, as the demand for skilled professionals across the application ecosystem continues to outpace supply. By combining IDCA's regularly updated, industry-informed content with Innovorg's advanced skills gap analysis and career pathing tools, the two organisations aim to create a comprehensive solution for workforce development in the digital infrastructure space.

Verne unveils plans for data centre campus in Finland

Verne, a provider of sustainably powered HPC data centres across the Nordics, has today announced it has acquired a strategic site in Mäntsälä, Finland, and unveiled plans to build its fifth Nordic data centre. With an initial capacity of 70 MW, the Mäntsälä 10-hectare campus, a 40-minute drive from Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, will support services to data intensive enterprises and AI innovators running High Performance Compute (HPC), machine learning, and other high intensity workloads, while operating exclusively on renewable energy. The new facility will be built in line with Verne’s best practice design principles and expertise, which aim to maximise efficiency while helping customers reduce the environmental impact of their data centre operations. In addition, the new campus will be powered by 100% renewable energy sources, while waste heat generated by the data centre will be harnessed to power local community heating projects. “Verne’s Mäntsälä data centre campus represents a significant step in our mission to help global enterprises embrace advanced computing while at the same time reducing their impact on the environment,” says Dominic Ward, CEO, Verne. “This new site is part of our strategy of continuous growth across the Nordic region and marks our first new location following Ardian’s acquisition of Verne.” Dominic continues, “Finland, with its abundant clean energy, established data centre industry, and highly skilled workforce, offers the perfect environment for our latest development. We are also working in close collaboration with the Mäntsälä Municipality to ensure our latest facility benefits the local area. This includes a plan to harness the waste heat from the facility to supply hot water and heating to neighbouring districts.” Mäntsälä's Mayor, Hannu Laurila, adds, "We are very pleased that Verne has chosen Mäntsälä as the location for its new data centre. This investment creates excellent opportunities for the broader development of the entire region. Mäntsälä is seen by companies as a highly attractive place to settle – one reason for this is, of course, the location, but also our basic infrastructure with reliable power grids is very good.” Construction of Verne’s Mäntsälä data centre will commence in mid-2025 and is expected to take two years to complete. This expansion represents a strategic move in the company’s long-term plan to build out its sustainably powered data centre platform, which was acquired by private investment house, Ardian, in early 2024. Ardian is a long-term infrastructure investor committed to the Nordics market, where it has already invested more than €1.6 billion, with a focus on energy transition and digital infrastructure projects. It is working with Verne to drive sustainable growth across the Nordic countries, starting with this expansion plan in Finland. Verne’s data centre platform currently includes three further facilities in Finland – in Helsinki, Pori, and Tampere, together with a substantial campus in Iceland, and a facility in Central London, which is optimised to support latency-sensitive applications. The Mäntsälä expansion marks another milestone in Verne’s mission to deliver sustainable data centre solutions for the rising demands of AI and HPC workloads. For more from Verne, click here.

African data centres receive Uptime Institute certification

Raxio Group, a provider of Tier III certified and carrier neutral data centres across Africa, has announced that its facilities in Mozambique and Ethiopia have achieved the prestigious Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility (TCCF). Raxio states that the accomplishment is an endorsement of its commitment to delivering state-of-the-art, reliable, and efficient data centre infrastructure across Africa. The Tier III Facility Certification confirms that these facilities have been constructed in accordance with the original Tier III Design Certification standards and rigorously tested to meet Uptime Institute's performance criteria. This certification also ensures that the data centres are capable of providing the expected reliability and performance under various operational conditions. Robert Saunders, Chief Technology Officer at Raxio Group, emphasises the importance of this achievement for customers, stating, "Achieving the Uptime Institute Tier III Facility Certification for our Mozambique and Ethiopia facilities is a significant milestone. It reassures our customers that these data centres are designed and constructed to meet the highest international standards. This guarantees operational resilience, reliability, and a robust environment to support their critical business operations. Our customers can confidently scale and innovate, knowing that their data is hosted in facilities that are built for peak performance and future growth.” With these certifications, Raxio Group continues its mission to meet the growing demand for high-quality data centre infrastructure in Africa, enabling digital transformation, supporting economic growth, and creating sustainable solutions for businesses across the continent. Raxio Mozambique and Raxio Ethiopia join a growing portfolio of Tier III-certified data centres, highlighting Raxio Group’s dedication to excellence, innovation, and customer-centricity in the African digital landscape. For more from Raxio Group, click here.

IPTO and Serverfarm to develop data centres in Greece

The Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece and Serverfarm, a global data centre developer and operator, announced today the signing of a Heads of Agreement regarding the formation of Gemini, a joint venture with the objective of developing and operating state-of-the-art, hyperscale-ready data centre facilities in Athens and elsewhere in Greece, on sites owned by IPTO. This strategic alliance marks a significant milestone in advancing Greece's digital infrastructure and fostering sustainable growth in the data-driven economy. Gemini will combine the collective expertise and resources of two leading entities in their respective fields. IPTO, as a crucial pillar of the Greek energy sector, plays a pivotal role in managing the country's electricity grid, ensuring stability, and embracing renewable energy solutions. Leveraging its extensive experience, IPTO will be providing reliable and sustainable power supply, essential for supporting data centre operations along with strategically located sites with access to power and optical fibre networks, as well as other operational resources. Serverfarm, as an expert in data centre development and operations globally, with a strong track record in commercial real estate ventures, will be bringing unparalleled industry experience and advanced design and operational know-how, ensuring that the joint venture will become a point-of-reference for data centre services in Greece. Gemini plans to construct and operate hyperscale-ready data centre facilities in the Greater Athens area, leading initially with a campus with committed power of 130MW, creating the foundations for establishing a robust digital ecosystem to meet the escalating demands of cloud service providers, content delivery networks and enterprises. The data centres will be designed with a focus on energy efficiency, utilising state-of-the-art cooling technologies and renewable energy sources to minimise their environmental impact, creating an unparalleled platform for hyperscale computing in Greece. The joint venture envisions Athens as a prominent digital hub, offering secure, reliable, and low-latency data centre facilities to national and international clients, bolstering Greece's position in the global data economy. Avner Papouchado, the Founder and CEO of Serverfarm, says, “As leading tech and hyperscale organisations continue to expand into Greece, we see a great opportunity to leverage our expertise in this region. Our strategic partnership with IPTO, underscores our mission to invest in transformative projects that create long-term value. The Greek data centre market is still one of the most under-served in Europe, but at the same time, its geographical location makes it ideal to serve as a data gateway between continents. “Our collaboration with IPTO in creating Gemini and our shared commitment to excellence and sustainability will enable us to leverage this immense potential to offer high quality, data centre services in Greece. Our goal is to cater to the growing needs of hyperscale customers in the area and elevate Athens as a major hub for the industry, shaping the digital landscape in the broader region.” Manos Manousakis, the Chairman and CEO of IPTO, adds, “IPTO is building critical infrastructure for tomorrow's electricity and telecommunications backbone networks throughout Greece and beyond, interconnecting the future. We are delighted to partner with Serverfarm, through Gemini, to deliver world-class data centre facilities in Greece. “Serverfarm’s vast experience in developing state-of-the-art data centres, coupled with IPTO's robust energy infrastructure and its strategic location at the crossroads of continents, will create an unparalleled platform for hyperscale computing in Greece, catering to the escalating demand for digital services in the region. This alliance symbolises a significant milestone for Greece's digital transformation, which is poised to build the foundation for a flourishing data-driven economy in Greece. “In this way, we fully exploit synergies and create win-win business opportunities, transforming Greece into a critical energy and data hub of high geopolitical value, at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia.”

Castrol launches new direct-to-chip cooling fluid

Castrol has announced the launch of Castrol ON Direct Liquid Cooling PG 25, a new propylene glycol-based cooling fluid specifically designed for direct-to-chip cooling applications in high-performance data centres. The ready-to-use solution helps meet the complex thermal management needs of today's high-performance computing, while offering protection against corrosion and bacterial growth. Castrol ON PG 25 has been developed to meet the rapidly growing adoption of direct-to-chip cooling technology in data centres, driven by the demand for higher computing densities, particularly for applications like AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing. The global data centre cooling market is expected to reach $16.8 billion by 2028, with direct-to-chip cooling becoming widely adopted. Traditional air cooling, which currently dominates data centre cooling, often cannot efficiently manage the heat generated by densely packed, high-power servers. To address these escalating cooling demands, the industry is turning to more efficient solutions like direct-to-chip cooling which delivers liquid coolant directly to heat-generating components, enabling faster heat transfer and reducing the reliance on energy-intensive air conditioning systems. This approach helps maintain the optimal operating temperatures crucial for system reliability and performance. "As data centres continue to push the boundaries of computing power, direct-to-chip cooling offers an opportunity for data centres to manage the increasing thermal demands of next-generation processors," says Peter Huang, Global Vice President of Thermal Management, Castrol. "Through the launch of PG 25, we are combining Castrol's expertise in thermal management with our global capabilities to help customers meet their cooling challenges with efficiency." Castrol’s new PG 25 fluid offers several key advantages for data centre operators:• Non-toxic propylene glycol formulation for enhanced safety in sensitive computing environments• Extended protection against metal corrosion and bacterial growth• Comprehensive compatibility with common cooling system materials• Ready-to-use 25% concentration requiring no dilution• Global availability backed by Castrol's technical support network Castrol ON Direct Liquid Cooling PG 25 is supported by the company's comprehensive operational support and monitoring solutions, enabling data centre operators to optimise the performance of their cooling systems throughout their lifecycle. "Through research and collaboration with our customers and technology partners, we've developed a truly end-to-end solution that supports data centres to rapidly implement and benefit from direct-to-chip cooling technologies while anticipating the future needs of the industry," adds Sung A Kim, Global Head of Technology for Data Centre Liquid Solutions, Castrol. "Further, our global network will enable us to provide comprehensive support all the way from initial testing to deployment, supporting our customers to confidently implement direct-to-chip cooling solutions across their facilities." With the addition of Castrol ON Direct Liquid Cooling PG 25 to Castrol’s existing range of immersion cooling fluids and associated services, Castrol can be a one-stop partner for meeting the liquid cooling solutions of today and tomorrow. The product is now available through Castrol's distribution network in selected markets. For more from Castrol, click here.

atNorth secures land in Sweden for future mega site

atNorth, a Nordic colocation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence service provider, has announced it has secured land in the Sollefteå Municipality, in Hamre Industripark in Långsele, Sweden. The 30 hectare plot is strategically located for its infrastructure, energy capacity and benefits from Sweden’s cool climate, abundance of renewable energy and skilled workforce. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Sollefteå Municipality and the Hamre area”, says Johan Andersson, Chair of the Municipal Executive Committee. “We are delighted to collaborate with atNorth, a company that leads in data centre solutions and sustainable technology. This project can help strengthen our region as a hub for innovative development”. atNorth opened its state of the art SWE01 site in Stockholm in 2022. The secured land in Sollefteå Municipality is intended to be the location of atNorth’s first mega site in Sweden. “We are excited to be exploring the possibility of a new mega site in Sweden to complement our existing metro sites”, comments Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO at atNorth. “As the demand for our sustainable infrastructure continues to increase, we are committed to scaling in a responsible way that benefits the Nordic locations we inhabit”. The news follows the recent announcement of the expansion of atNorth’s ICE02 and ICE03 data centers in Iceland and the revelation of its newest data centre development, DEN02, located in Ølgod in Varde, Denmark. The business has three other new data centre sites in development - two in Finland (FIN02 located in Sinimäentie, Espoo, and FIN04 located in Kouvola) and an additional site in Denmark, DEN01, located in the Ballerup region of the country. For more from atNorth, click here.

STULZ introduces CyberAir Mini DX air conditioning unit

STULZ, a mission critical air conditioning specialist, has announced the introduction of its CyberAir Mini DX range of space saving innovations for small and medium sized heat loads. Available from January 2025, the CyberAir Mini DX complements the highly successful CyberAir Mini CW range, and together, they will replace the company’s MiniSpace series. With the CyberAir Mini DX, STULTZ aims to build on the success of its CyberAir Mini CW, which was introduced in 2021 and is available in four sizes with cooling capacities between 8.9kW and 34.7kW. Built using state-of-the-art components, the CyberAir Mini DX is a compact and efficient precision direct expansion air conditioning system that delivers effective climate control in server rooms and telecommunication closets. It is ideal for businesses seeking to safeguard sensitive IT infrastructure through precise temperature control, while at the same time minimising operating costs. The CyberAir Mini DX is available in three sizes, with outputs from 5.9kW to 22.7kW - and to offer the most appropriate option for the widest variety of applications, each device can be configured with a choice of five different cooling systems. These include two air-cooled direct evaporation systems (A/AS), a water-cooled direct evaporation system (G), a chilled water system with redundant air cooling (ACW) and a hybrid free cooling system (GE). To further enhance the level of customer choice, the CyberAir Mini DX can operate with four different varieties of refrigerant. Alongside R410A and R407C options, STULZ is continuing its mission to provide the most sustainable air conditioning systems possible by offering R513A and R454C low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants. "With our low-GWP R513A (GWP 631) and R454C (GWP 148) options, we are able to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and ensure regulatory compliance," explains Norbert Wenk, Head of Global Product Management at STULZ. "This is important, considering the European Union’s (EU) F-Gas Regulation, which targets a two-thirds reduction in the EU’s fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2014 levels. As one of the first manufacturers of air conditioning units to incorporate the use of R513A in its technology, we remain committed to extending the use of low-GWP refrigerants throughout our portfolio." Safety is also a significant design consideration, and when using flammable refrigerants such as R454C, STULZ offers the necessary safety features as part of a complete system. In addition, CyberAir Mini DX models are available as upflow or downflow versions, with flexible intake and discharge options, while exceptional energy efficiency is achieved using electronically commutated (EC) fans which operate efficiently at partial loads and have low noise levels. STULZ places a strong emphasis on user-friendliness, and thanks to an optimised device design, CyberAir Mini DX models are easy to maintain and are equipped with the STULZ E² control system. With a touchscreen display for intuitive operation and quick parameter configuration, functions such as redundancy management, cross-machine parallel operation, standby management with emergency operation and connection to a building management system (BMS) are also possible through the E² controller. "As part of our programme of continual innovation, we are delighted with the CyberAir Mini DX, which successfully combines operational safety, scalability, durability and reliability," Norbert continues. "We will be taking orders from the start of 2025 and customers, planners and refrigeration contractors can reach out to their STULZ customer advisor at any time for detailed information and personalised advice." For more from STULZ, click here.

Vultr to pioneer new GPU data centre architecture

Vultr, a privately-held cloud infrastructure company, has announced a four-way strategic collaboration with Juniper Networks, a provider of secure, AI-native networking; Broadcom, an enterprise data centre connectivity solutions expert; and AMD, a provider of high-performance compute technologies. As a part of this announcement, Vultr is expanding its Chicago cloud data centre region at Centersquare’s Lisle, Illinois location, featuring an AMD GPU supercompute cluster, powered by ROCm open software and an ecosystem of best-of-breed AI infrastructure collaborators. Designed for today's enterprise and cloud-scale environments, Broadcom's Ethernet network adapters are the ideal solution for secure data centre connectivity, high-performance compute clusters, and intelligent flow processing for AI training and AI inference. Meanwhile, Juniper’s AI-optimised Ethernet products deliver secure, high-performance networking with simplified operations, from the data centre to the cloud edge. By combining Broadcom’s Ethernet technologies, Juniper’s networking solutions, and Vultr’s robust cloud infrastructure, customers can harness the power of the new AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs and ROCm open software for their global AI training and inference workloads. “Open ecosystems are the foundation of innovation,” says J.J. Kardwell, CEO of Vultr. “Our collaboration with AMD, Broadcom, and Juniper Networks empowers enterprises and AI innovators to harness the full potential of accelerated computing with the highest levels of flexibility, scalability, interoperability, and security.” “As enterprises look to expand AI investments in 2025, they need high-performance, scalable, sustainable cloud GPU infrastructure,” adds Negin Oliver, Corporate Vice President of Business Development, Data Centre GPU Business Unit, AMD. “AMD is proud to collaborate with Broadcom, Juniper and Vultr to bring state-of-the-art AMD Instinct MI300X GPUs and ROCm software stack to Vultr’s composable cloud infrastructure to power enterprise’s AI development and deployment.” This news comes on the heels of Vultr’s extended collaboration with AMD to make the new AMD Instinct MI300X accelerators and ROCm open software available within Vultr’s composable cloud infrastructure. Collaborating with Broadcom and Juniper is the next step in creating an open ecosystem, powered by ROCm, to unlock new frontiers of GPU-accelerated workloads from the data centre to the edge. Ram Velaga, Senior Vice President and General Manager, says, “Ethernet has become the de facto technology for backend networks in large-scale AI deployments. Broadcom’s leading switch silicon and network adapters are accelerating such networks to ever higher performance. We are proud to work with AMD, Juniper and Vultr to power this supercompute cluster based on open Ethernet networking.” “High-performance connectivity is critical for operational efficiency of AI,” adds Praveen Jain, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Data Centre & AI, Juniper Networks. “We were the first OEM to deliver 800G switches. Furthermore, Juniper is committed to open, AI-optimised, Ethernet solutions, with capabilities like advanced load balancing and automated congestion control for optimal AI workload performance. Through our collaboration with AMD, Broadcom and Vultr, we're building the robust network infrastructure that will fuel the AI breakthroughs of tomorrow.” For more from Vultr, click here.