Data Centres

TerraPower and Sabey reach deal for deployment of Natrium plants

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

Keysight launches Chiplet PHY Designer 2025

Keysight Technologies has announced the launch of Chiplet PHY Designer 2025, its latest software product for high-speed digital chiplet design tailored to AI and data centre applications. The enhanced software introduces simulation capabilities for the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) 2.0 standard and adds support for the Open Computer Project Bunch of Wires (BoW) standard. As an advanced, system-level chiplet design and die-to-die (D2D) design solution, Chiplet PHY Designer enables pre-silicon level validation, streamlining the path to tapeout. As AI and data centre chips grow more complex, ensuring reliable communication between chiplets becomes crucial for performance. The industry is addressing this challenge through open, emerging standards like UCIe and BoW that define the interconnects between chiplets within an advanced 2.5D/3D or laminate/advanced package. By adopting these standards and verifying chiplets for compliance, designers contribute to the growing ecosystem for chiplet interoperability, reducing costs and risks in semiconductor development. Key benefits of the Chiplet PHY Designer 2025 • Ensures interoperability: Verifies designs meet UCIe 2.0 and BoW standards, enabling seamless integration across advanced packaging ecosystems.• Accelerates time-to-market: Automates simulation and compliance testing setup, such as Voltage Transfer Function (VTF), simplifying chiplet design workflows.• Improves design accuracy: Provides insight into signal integrity, bit error rate (BER), and crosstalk analysis, reducing risks of costly silicon re-spins.• Optimises clocking designs: Supports advanced clocking scheme analysis, such as quarter-rate data rate (QDR), for precise synchronisation in high-speed interconnects. Hee-Soo Lee, High-Speed Digital Segment Lead, Keysight EDA, says, “Keysight EDA launched Chiplet PHY Designer one year ago as the industry’s first pre-silicon validation tool to provide in-depth modelling and simulation capabilities; this enabled chiplet designers to rapidly and accurately verify that their designs meet specifications before tapeout. “The latest release keeps pace with evolving standards like UCIe 2.0 and BoW while delivering new features, such as the QDR clocking scheme and systematic crosstalk analysis for single-ended buses. Engineers using Chiplet PHY Designer save time and avoid costly rework, ensuring their designs meet performance requirements before manufacturing. Early adopters, like Alphawave Semi, attest that Chiplet PHY Designer ensures seamless operation and interoperability for 2.5D/3D solutions available to their chiplet customers.” Keysight will demonstrate Chiplet PHY Designer at its DesignCon booth, #1039, at the Santa Clara Convention Centre from 29-30 January 2025. For more from Keysight Technologies, click here.

Pure Data Centres to integrate world's largest 'living wall'

Planning permission has been granted in London for the world’s biggest ‘living wall’. Pure Data Centres, backed by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, will be integrating the wall into the second building on its campus in Brent Cross, North London. Pure DC’s living wall, being installed by specialist firm Viritopia, will cover an area of 7,400 square metres, making it the largest in the world. The current title is held by The Khalifa Avenue in Qatar, which is 7,000 square metres. The largest living wall on a building is One Assembly in Singapore, which is 5,300 square metres. Work has already begun on the site, adjacent to Pure DC’s existing London data centre, which will take overall capacity at the London campus to over 90MW, with capacity to expand further – helping to satisfy the increasing demand for cloud services and AI processing. The living wall will envelop the new structure and will contain more than 750,000 individual plants which will be installed using a modular system. Key functions of the plants are to absorb noise and to help filter out air pollution. The extensive planting area will also enhance the site’s biodiversity by creating important habitats for birds and insects. It will also provide a protective outer layer to the building, helping to reduce solar gain and improve the microclimate. Demand for data centres is at an all-time high, especially in London, which accounts for 80% of the UK’s data centre market. The data centre market in the UK is projected to grow by over 60% by 2029. Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure DC, comments, “The data centre industry is facing a critical challenge of building the digital infrastructure needed to support the demands of global data growth in a way that also takes care of the local environment. Gaining planning permission for the living wall is an exciting step in our effort to meet this challenge head-on. “Alongside our subsidiary, A Healthier Earth, which plays a significant role in helping us to accelerate nature-positive projects like this, Pure is committed to researching and developing innovative solutions which support long-term biodiversity projects and ensure our data centres make a positive impact in the areas where we work.” The project is the latest innovation from Pure DC, which develops and operates data centres that incorporate innovative design features to be as sustainable as possible, using modern and innovative building materials and effective decarbonisation processes. Pure DC conducts Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) on every development to understand its construction and operational carbon footprint. It aims to send zero waste to landfill and remove water usage in operation via closed-loop cooling systems and rainwater harvesting, where possible. Pure has replaced diesel in standby generators with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) wherever it can be sustainably sourced, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 90% for Scope 1. Pure DC’s research and development subsidiary, A Healthier Earth, will oversee the construction of the living wall. This climate-tech catalyst develops, delivers, and operates planet-positive projects. The development of the ‘living’ wall is part of A Healthier Earth’s wider research and development work, through which Pure is placing an emphasis on forward thinking developments and sustainable approaches to decarbonise digital infrastructure. For more from Pure Data Centres, click here.

e& and DE-CIX partner to create SmartHub Internet Exchange

e& Carrier & Wholesale, a leading carrier which operates multiple geo-redundant SmartHub data centres across the Middle East - providing cutting-edge SmartHub IX services within these state-of-the-art facilities - has partnered with DE-CIX, a provider of premium interconnection services and an operator of carrier and data centre-neutral Internet Exchanges (IX). DE-CIX’s global presence spans nearly 60 locations across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. This collaboration will enhance the Middle East’s IX ecosystem, driving the digital economy forward by expanding SmartHub IX’s reach through direct connections to DE-CIX’s global network and international Internet Exchanges. Nabil Baccouche, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer, e&, says, “We are thrilled to partner with DE-CIX to boost the operations of SmartHub IX; this ground-breaking advancement will significantly enhance the digital landscape in the UAE and the wider region. This strategic collaboration aligns perfectly with our vision of building a dynamic and interconnected digital infrastructure. By leveraging DE-CIX’s global expertise and extensive network, we continue to deliver exceptional value to our customers and foster innovation across various industries. With low-latency connectivity, SmartHub IX will ensure that information is transmitted and processed with minimal delay, enabling a more agile and efficient digital ecosystem.” SmartHub IX has introduced a remote peering service in collaboration with multiple Internet Exchanges in the region and is working to scale it to a global level, aimed at enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of network operations for businesses and service providers. This service promises to deliver substantial cost savings, expand network reach, provide scalability, improve performance, and offer greater flexibility. e&'s Remote Peering Service positions SmartHub IX as a strategic gateway to global markets, providing customers with seamless cross-border connectivity and enhanced data exchange. Ivo Ivanov, Chief Executive Officer, DE-CIX (pictured above), adds, “We are honoured to have been chosen by our valued partner, e&, to drive SmartHub IX powered by DE-CIX forward. This is an exciting day for digital infrastructure in the UAE. Our common goal is not only to provide the digital economy in the Gulf region with the infrastructure it needs to forge closer local, regional, and international ties, but also to strengthen the entire Middle Eastern interconnection ecosystem. “In addition, direct connectivity between SmartHub IX powered by DE-CIX and DE-CIX’s IXs in India unites two highly valuable markets and connects the UAE even more strongly with global interconnection ecosystems. Together with UAE-IX, also powered by DE-CIX, the Middle East will benefit from the best IX ecosystem in the area. This agreement positions the UAE as the hotspot of interconnection for the entire region, taking the Middle East to the next level.” SmartHub IX in Fujairah hosts the largest submarine cable landing station in the region, interconnecting global customers, content providers, and Internet service providers. The new locations in Dubai will keep the IX business on a steady growth trajectory. SmartHub IX offers a world-class infrastructure and environment to customers seeking to interconnect with local, regional and international networks ensuring exceptional performance and reliability. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

RWO wins ‘next generation’ data centre work

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

DeepCoolAI and Sanmina partner to scale AI infrastructure

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

CtrlS announces 40-acre Datacenter Park near Hyderabad

CtrlS Datacenters has announced plans to set up a new Datacenter Park on a 40-acre land parcel at the upcoming Chandanvelly Industrial Park near Hyderabad in India. This expansion will significantly enhance the company's capacity and capabilities in the region.  The 40-acre campus, with a potential IT load capacity of over 600MW, represents a substantial investment in Hyderabad's data centre landscape, which presently has an estimated 52MW operational capacity.  According to various analyst reports, India's data centre industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with capacity expected to cross 1,300MW by the end of 2024 and reach 1,800MW by 2026. This growth is driven by rapid digital transformation, AI and cloud adoption, and data localisation requirements.   The CtrlS Chandanvelly Datacenter Park will feature multiple high density, ultra-high density along with AI-ready, interconnected data centre buildings with a potential capacity of over 600MW IT load when fully developed. The buildings will be engineered for flexible ultra-high density rack configurations supporting up to 135KW per rack and immersion cooling up to 300KW per rack and equipped with state-of-the-art cooling technologies.   In phase-1, the facility has secured 250MW of sanctioned power capacity and plans to have a dedicated Gas Insulated Substation (GIS), expandable up to 900MW, ensuring redundant power availability for uninterrupted operations. The facility will also house mission-critical operation centres, administrative offices and collaboration spaces for customers.   The facility will utilise advanced cooling systems like free air-cooling, direct liquid cooling, immersion cooling for achieving an annual Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) between 1.12 and 1.32, with potential for even greater efficiency through free cooling solutions. The buildings will feature solar module facades on both western and southern elevations, offering multiple benefits including thermal regulation, generating green power and aesthetic appeal.  Sridhar Pinnapureddy, Chairman, CtrlS Datacenters Ltd, says, "Telangana is rapidly emerging as an economic powerhouse in India, making it strategic for CtrlS Datacenters' expansion. Our new data centre park will catalyse the growth of data-driven and technology businesses in the region.   He further adds, "Given the government's strong support for the ICT sector and accelerating digital transformation, CtrlS Datacenters is proud to contribute to Hyderabad's digital ecosystem through this state-of-the-art facility. We are grateful to the Telangana government for their support and for fostering an environment conducive to establishing our Datacenter Park."  

Feature - Driving Hard Disk Drive innovation

When it comes to capacity and density, Western Digital’s latest hard disk drives (HDDs) are setting new standards. Peter Hayles, Product Marketing Manager HDD at Western Digital, explains why. The increased digitalisation of business operations and the proliferation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has led to an explosive data growth in recent times. Hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and data centres now require enormous storage capacities to keep up with this data deluge, with factors like performance, power consumption, total cost of ownership and storage density all playing a decisive role in creating an efficient storage infrastructure. With its decades of industry experience, Western Digital is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible when it comes to data centre storage, and its latest HDDs are here to help address the challenge of balancing capacity and density needs. The Ultrastar DC HC690 UltraSMR HDD has up to 32 TB of storage, with a sequential transfer rate of up to 257 MiB/s. And the Ultrastar DC HC590 HDD, which uses the traditional CMR recording technology, enables a continuous increase in capacity with 26 TB and sustained transfer rates of up to 288 MiB/s. Storage capacity and density now go hand in hand What is remarkable about these HDDs is that, despite their higher capacities, they are not physically larger than their predecessor models. This makes them a great solution for data centres and is something primarily made possible by innovative technologies, like the Energy-Assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR). The PMR process requires a certain minimum energy to ensure stable magnetisation of the bits. With ePMR, electricity is used to generate an additional magnetic field to support the magnetisation process of data bits. The field creates a preferred path for ‘switching’ the bits, i.e. rewriting the data, and this means that less magnetic energy is required from the write head itself. The additional magnetic field ensures a more stable and uniformed magnetisation of the bits, which minimises so-called ‘jitter’ effects. This is where unwanted irregularities can lead to inefficient use of storage space. By reducing jitter, the bits can be placed closer together, and therefore the storage density of the hard disk increases. Why SMR and ePMR complement each other perfectly ePMR has a particularly positive effect in combination with Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR), the storage recording format with overlapping tracks. With SMR, more data can be written to the same space and like ePMR, it is therefore great for increasing the storage capacity on a hard drive without increasing its physical space requirements. SMR hard drives are best suited for long sequential writes where the system is continuously writing data to the medium, such as for data backup or archiving. In combination with ePMR, these two technologies enable an increase in tracks-per-inch (TPI), allowing more storage capacity so data centre operators can maximise their storage efficiency. This results in benefits such as increased computing power in minimal space, improved energy efficiency, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), scalability and flexibility. Shaping the future of HDD technology With data centres growing in importance and prominence – especially hyperscalers and cloud providers – there is an increasing need to look for optimised storage solutions that can keep up with the vast amounts of data at scale while lowering TCO to ensure storage efficiency and economic viability. By combining field-proven designs with the latest innovative technologies, such as UltraSMR and Western Digital’s propriety OptiNAND technology, which leverages integrated iNAND embedded flash for housekeeping functions, data centres will address the different needs of various applications and enable higher capacity storage without having to compromise on density. Data centres and organisations interested in learning more about Western Digital’s HDD offerings can start their journey here. - This article first appeared in the Winter 2024 edition of DCNN. For more from Western Digital, click here.

Smart Spatial announces partnership with Hyperview

Smart Spatial has announced a new strategic partnership with Hyperview, a prominent cloud-based DCIM platform. The companies state that the collaboration represents a major advancement in digital twin technology, combining Smart Spatial's innovative platform with Hyperview’s expertise in optimising data centre operations, reducing energy consumption, and preventing outages. Together, the companies aim to redefine how businesses manage and optimise their physical environments. Through this partnership, Smart Spatial and Hyperview will introduce cutting-edge visualisation capabilities to data centres, pushing the boundaries of transparency and risk mitigation. Hyperview’s advanced cloud platform captures and manages live telemetry from servers, networks, storage, and IT infrastructure to optimise asset tracking, capacity planning, energy usage, and carbon footprint reduction. By integrating Smart Spatial's 3D visualisation capabilities, Hyperview can transform this data into an intuitive, layered 3D interface, empowering data centre teams with actionable insights for precision and efficiency. Together, the companies are not just reducing costs and errors, but driving sustainability and seeking to set new standards for operational excellence. Dan Lesovodski, Chief Partner Officer of Smart Spatial, comments, "This partnership marks another significant step in delivering unparalleled value to data centre customers. We are thrilled to welcome Hyperview to our ecosystem and look forward to the exciting possibilities this collaboration will unlock." Jad Jebara, President and CEO of Hyperview, adds, “Our collaboration with Smart Spatial marks a pivotal moment in data centre innovation. By merging Hyperview’s advanced DCIM capabilities with Smart Spatial’s cutting-edge 3D visualisation technology, we are empowering data centre operators to achieve new heights in operational efficiency, sustainability, and risk mitigation. Together, we’re transforming how data centres are managed, setting a new standard for transparency and precision in the industry.” For more from Hyperview, click here.

Sabey Data Centers announces new President

Sabey Data Centers, a designer, builder and operator of multi-tenant data centres, has announced the details of a significant leadership transition. After eight years of dedicated service, Rob Rockwood stepped down from his role as President, effective 31 December 2024, and Tim Mirick (pictured), who has served as Chief Revenue Officer since 2012, is set to succeed Rob as President. Tim officially took over as President on 1 January 2025. "I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Sabey Data Centers over the past eight years,” says Rob Rockwood. “As I step down, I am confident that Tim Mirick’s exceptional leadership and vision will continue to drive Sabey Data Centers forward. I look forward to supporting Tim and the entire Sabey team in their future endeavours." Jeffrey Kanne, President and CEO of National Real Estate Advisors, comments, “We extend our gratitude to Rob Rockwood for his exceptional leadership and the significant impact he has made at Sabey Data Centers during his tenure. As we welcome Tim Mirick into this pivotal role, we look forward to working closely with him to drive continued growth and success for Sabey Data Centers.” Tim Mirick, the new President, notes, "I am honoured to take on the role of President at Sabey Data Centers and am grateful for the trust placed in me by the company. Rob Rockwood has been an outstanding leader and built a strong foundation for continued growth. I am excited to lead the team in this new chapter and to continue expanding our capabilities to meet the growing needs of our clients." For more from Sabey Data Centers, click here.