Data Centres

Crestchic expands to meet demand from data centres

Crestchic Loadbanks, a load testing specialist, has reinforced its commitment to the growing data centre sector with the acquisition of the loadbanks rental division of Gulf Incon International. This strategic move strengthens Crestchic’s presence in the UAE and enables it to meet growing demand for loadbank testing in the region’s expanding data centre market. The acquisition comes as the UAE experiences rapid growth in data centre development, driven by digital transformation, cloud computing, the computational demands of AI, and increased investment from hyperscale providers. With data centres requiring rigorous power infrastructure testing to ensure uptime and resilience, the acquisition will allow Crestchic to meet demand with a larger fleet, including server emulators for heat load testing in server halls. Chris Caldwell, Managing Director at Crestchic Loadbanks, comments, “We’ve always been heavily involved in the data centre sector and have seen demand for power testing and heat load testing skyrocket in recent years. This acquisition is a significant step up in our ability to support the sector’s growing needs for timely and efficient solutions. Gulf Incon International has built a strong reputation for reliability and expertise in the Middle East. By integrating their loadbank assets and specialist team into our operations, we are even better positioned to serve the region’s increasing need for robust power reliability and heat load testing.” As part of the acquisition, Gulf Incon International’s loadbank assets and personnel will be relocated to Crestchic UAE’s headquarters in Jebel Ali. The expanded fleet and capabilities will ensure continuity of service and expert support for customers across the region, including an enhanced foothold in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over the past three years, Crestchic has significantly invested in its people, equipment, and infrastructure, doubling its global revenue and reinforcing its position as a market leader in load-testing solutions. Crestchic tells us that this latest acquisition underscores its commitment to delivering high-quality power testing solutions to businesses operating in mission-critical industries, particularly within the data centre sector. For more from Crestchic Loadbanks, click here.

LINX surpasses 700Gbps traffic peak in Manchester

The London Internet Exchange (LINX), a not-for-profit organisation working for the good of the Internet, has hit a new record maximum traffic peak of 725Gbps at its Manchester network fabric, highlighting the importance of regionalising network traffic. LINX Manchester has seen consistent growth in traffic, rising by an average of 100-200Gbps throughout 2024. Manchester prides itself on robust digital infrastructure with some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK, supported by extensive fibre-optic networks. Key initiatives such as the £23.8 million full-fibre investment have been pivotal to enhancing Manchester’s digital connectivity, enabling businesses to leverage data and technology to improve efficiency and services. To further enhance Manchester’s strong internet connectivity, LINX’s new location on its Manchester network went live in September 2024 at the Lunar Digital Data Centre, providing peering and further interconnection services to deliver improved performance, increased redundancy and lower network latency by keeping traffic local to the Manchester area. Colin Peckham, LINX Interconnection Specialist, comments, “Manchester is a thriving hub of business and technology, at the forefront of innovation and economic growth, so it’s vital that the area has fast, resilient network infrastructure. Working with our data centre partners in the area, we’re able to quickly deploy advanced peering and cross-connect services to strengthen connectivity in the region and best support the people and businesses driving forward growth. Keeping traffic local keeps latency low and bolsters network security to ensure that internet access remains strong and operational for longer.” Manchester acts as a landmark tech hub for the UK off the back of significant investment in infrastructure, technology and education. The area is home to MediaCityUK, where major organisations such as the BBC, ITV and Ericsson are based, and also nearby to innovation district, The Oxford Road Corridor. The city is also the recipient of major infrastructure funding under the Northern Powerhouse Initiative. Datum is another of the data centre partners on the LINX Manchester network, and its MCR2 data centre in South Manchester is due to go live by the end of Q1 2025. Seb Graham, Group Sales Director for Datum, comments, “We are thrilled to see Manchester continually growing its traffic year on year with LINX. Partnering with LINX has been a massive benefit and allows Datum to provide a diverse, carrier neutral offering to our growing client base from a very connectivity-rich data centre. The team at LINX have been brilliant to work with from day one and continue to develop a tight knit, supportive community. We look forward to working more closely with LINX delivering further solutions from our newly built MCR2 site. Manchester is very much open for business!” The city has ambitious plans to further its position as a leading tech hub, with the Manchester Digital Campus set to open in 2026, and the development of a new innovation district called ID Manchester, which aims to create 10,000 jobs and attract global tech firms. For more from LINX, click here.

Investment in data centre markets to reach new heights

CBRE, a commercial real estate service company, is expecting an unprecedented amount of new data centre supply to be delivered in Europe this year, as providers aim to keep pace with fierce demand. According to the latest research from the company, there is 937MW of new supply expected in European markets this year. If this data centre supply is delivered, it will reportedly set a new record for Europe and would represent an increase of 282MW more than the 655MW of capacity delivered in 2024. More than half (57%) of this capacity is expected to be delivered in the leading European data centre markets - Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin (the FLAPD region). In 2024, facilities of unprecedented size were delivered across Europe for the industry’s largest customers, but demand for colocation data centre space continued to outstrip supply, at 706MW and 655MW respectively. It is being reported that customer appetite for capacity has grown despite the difficulties data centre providers are having sourcing power and available land for new facilities. Nevertheless, CBRE believes that a greater proportion of supply will be delivered to Europe’s smaller secondary markets than ever before. The firm expects double-digit supply growth in five of the 10 secondary European markets tracked in 2025. There are seven markets, such as Milan and Madrid, which are expected to have 100MW of supply or more by year-end, compared to just four markets at the end of 2022. Kevin Restivo, Head of European Data Centre Research at CBRE, comments, "The data centre construction boom will continue unabated. Available power and appropriate land, government incentives, and hyperscaler ambitions are key factors that are driving the rapid growth of markets such as Milan, as well as the continued expansion of leading markets like London and Frankfurt." For more from CBRE, click here.

heata and British Gas project to deal with DC waste heat

This month, a pioneering trial backed by British Gas will see heat generated from computing servers recycled to provide free hot water in homes, using ground-breaking technology developed by UK firm, heata. The trial marks a huge milestone for heata founders, Chris Jordan and Michael Paisley, who hope their technology could help tackle the fuel poverty crisis, as well as being one of the solutions to one of the biggest environmental challenges of today - dealing with the waste heat generated by data centres. heata’s technology, which was developed as part of an innovation project with British Gas, allows heat generated from intensive data processing (typically undertaken in a data centre) to be channelled directly into a hot water cylinder in the home; reducing bills for the homeowner, and avoiding the need for the energy intensive cooling needed in a typical data centre. What this looks like in reality is a small compute unit attached to the hot water cylinder. This is part of the heata network - a ‘virtual data centre’ - and can process data for cloud computing customers whilst providing free hot water for the homeowner. Each heata unit can provide up to 4kWh of hot water per day, saving households up to £340 per year. British Gas has this month launched a 10 unit trial running its own data processing workloads on the heata units in their employee’s homes, providing their employees with free hot water as a by-product of British Gas’s data processing. Chris Jordan, Co-Founder of heata, says, “Waste heat is a big problem for data centres, leading to significant energy costs for cooling. Yet heat is valuable. On the other side of the coin you have an energy crisis and people struggling to heat their homes. Our unique technology brings those two things together. We’ve created a distributed ‘virtual data centre’ where the servers are attached to domestic hot water cylinders, enabling the heat generated by the data processing to be reused to provide free hot water in the home. “British Gas launching this trial is a huge step and we would love to see other firms following their lead. By making a small change to where you process your data, businesses can have an impact on fuel poverty and the planet. Being able to say you have reduced your compute carbon footprint and provided free hot water to people during an energy crisis is hugely powerful for companies who take pride in their sustainability and social impact. Paul Lodwidge, Head of Energy Product & Propositions at British Gas, adds, “Innovative projects like this are another example of how the UK is becoming a leader in cutting carbon emissions. heata is a true pioneer in the way it has developed a solution that can reuse waste heat and deliver significant cost and carbon savings. We’re proud to be able to support them with this latest trial and will work together to share insights and learnings that will enable the business to scale-up its offering.”

AirTrunk expands with second AI-ready data centre in Johor

Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) hyperscale data centre specialist, AirTrunk, has announced plans to develop its second cloud and AI-ready data centre in Johor, Malaysia. AirTrunk JHB2 will be located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor region. Scalable to over 270MW, JHB2 will support demand from global public cloud and technology companies in the region. The JHB2 announcement follows the opening of AirTrunk’s first data centre in Johor, 150+MW AirTrunk JHB1, in July 2024. Combined, AirTrunk is investing over RM 9.7 billion / A$3.5 billion in Malaysia, providing more than 420MW of IT load. JHB2, strategically located in a major availability zone, provides an end-to-end cross border connectivity strategy for customers and the ability to scale their operations to match demand. The additional capacity will support Malaysia’s fast-growing digital economy and follows the establishment of the landmark Johor-Singapore special economic zone (JS-SEZ). Like JHB1, the new data centre will feature AirTrunk’s state-of-the-art liquid cooling technology for managing the high-density demands of AI and will ensure significant energy savings. JHB2 is designed to meet the highest standards of efficiency and security, with a low design PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.25 and multiple renewable energy options available to customers. To support Johor State Government’s aim to diversify water sources, AirTrunk is scoping treated greywater as a recycled sustainable water supply for its campuses’ operations. Aligned with the Malaysian Government’s focus on National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and increasing opportunities for highly skilled workers, AirTrunk is creating jobs for Malaysians, with above market rate remuneration for AirTrunk employees, 90% local employees and career development opportunities. AirTrunk is also contributing to digital literacy programs and funding STEM education scholarships at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to further support the local community over the long term. Advancing towards its net zero 2030 target, AirTrunk recently announced one of the largest onsite solar deployments for a data centre in Southeast Asia at JHB1, as well as the first renewable energy Virtual Power Purchase Agreement for a data centre for 30MW of renewable energy, under Malaysia’s Corporate Green Power Programme. AirTrunk is working with the leading Malaysian utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to connect JHB2 through TNB’s Green Lane Pathway for Data Centres initiative, streamlining high-voltage electricity supply to an accelerated timeframe of 12 months. AirTrunk is also providing land for TNB to build a new substation, adding resilience to the electricity distribution system in the area. This continuing collaboration, which started from an MoU signed in 2023, opens the door for AirTrunk to explore green solutions with TNB in efforts to advance the energy transition in the region. AirTrunk Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Robin Khuda, says, “As Malaysia establishes itself as a digital powerhouse, it is a privilege for AirTrunk to contribute to this growth over the long term and deliver shared benefit for the people of Malaysia. AirTrunk’s data centres serve as essential infrastructure that will help boost productivity and enable new products and services that can drive economic growth. “We are committed to helping realise the potential of cloud and AI in Malaysia and prioritising circularity for the benefit of society and the environment. AirTrunk is supporting local digital literacy and STEM initiatives, driving the energy transition and working to embed a sustainable water supply to make a positive impact.”

DataVolt and NEOM to develop net zero AI campus in Oxagon

NEOM, the sustainable region taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia, and DataVolt, a Saudi-based international developer, investor and operator of data centres, have signed a landmark agreement, marking a significant step toward realising the Kingdom’s vision for a sustainable, data-driven economy. The development will take a phased approach, with phase one expected to be operational by 2028. Aligning with Oxagon’s ambition, the 1.5GW factory will integrate a wide range of computing densities and energy-efficient architectures to address the global challenges posed by traditional data centres. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centres currently consume between 1-1.3% of global electricity demand. With the advancements of generative AI, power consumption is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade. The energy-intensive nature of data centres and the cumulative impact of associated carbon emissions necessitate a rapid need for transition to clean sustainable solutions. As part of the agreement, Oxagon will lease DataVolt the land for the development of the facility and provide the sustainable data centre operator with infrastructure support. The ambition is for the facility to be entirely powered by renewable energy, providing a fully integrated, end-to-end data centre solution. The project will utilise advanced cooling technologies and is designed to operate at net zero, addressing the global challenges of power availability and the carbon footprint posed by data centres. Commenting on the announcement, Vishal Wanchoo, CEO of Oxagon, says, “The Kingdom is at the forefront of the global energy transition. At Oxagon, we are accelerating a renewable energy industrial ecosystem that is set to power businesses with green energy and technology solutions. The agreement with DataVolt highlights the potential impact of the sustainable infrastructure Oxagon offers its tenants and sets the foundations for the first green-AI workload to come on-stream in KSA along with the necessary computing power for regional and global impact.” Rajit Nanda, CEO of DataVolt, adds, “This agreement with NEOM and Oxagon underscores our unwavering commitment to support the Kingdom's vision of becoming a regional digital and AI hub. The Kingdom’s strategic location, coupled with its abundant green energy resources, aligns perfectly with DataVolt’s mission in providing state-of-the-art sustainable data centres. This project marks a significant milestone in advancing the Kingdom’s leadership as a digital powerhouse in the region.”

Yondr breaks ground on third phase of London campus

Yondr Group, a global developer, owner and operator of hyperscale data centres, has broken ground on the third building of its London data centre campus in Slough. Once completed, the 40MW data centre will bring the total capacity of the London campus to just over 100MW, making it one of the largest in the UK. The ground-breaking brings the site of a derelict paint factory back into commercial use, and the event follows completion of the first 30MW building at the London campus in July last year. An additional 30MW data centre is currently in the construction phase on site. Yondr’s third building on the London campus has been designed to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standards, to deliver both reliable data capacity and sustainability. The new facility will be energy efficient in line with the company’s sustainability strategy and 2030 target for Scope 1 and 2 carbon neutrality. Solar panels will be installed on the building’s roof and the facility will boast industry-leading power utilisation efficiency (PUE). Plans for the building were developed in close collaboration with Slough Borough Council and the Canal & River Trust, with the goal of realising a building that actively enhances biodiversity and improves the canal side, with a focus on aesthetics and active transport access for local residents.A green wall facing out towards the canal is one of the ways in which aesthetics and sustainability have been integrated into the project, as part of a strategy of blending the building with its surroundings. The green wall has been designed on an independent structure to overcome the technical requirements of the data centre and it will provide both visual and acoustic shielding, in addition to contributing to biodiversity. Yondr’s commitment to sustainability will extend beyond the border of the site for the new data centre, with the planting of trees and shrubs which have been specially selected to be sympathetic to local plant species and wildlife. A new walking and cycle route will contribute to the health and fitness of the local community and help to reduce vehicular traffic by creating a convenient cut-through. In a further step to create a positive impact in the local area, Yondr conducted a community-needs assessment which highlighted challenges children face in accessing outdoor learning opportunities. To help bridge this gap, Yondr has provided funding for six classes from local schools for a day of hands-on learning at the Iver Environment Centre – allowing the children to immerse themselves in biodiversity, conservation, and the importance of protecting the environment. Peter Hill, VP of Design & Construction EMEA at Yondr, comments, “The plans for this third building on our London campus show a clear evolution of our data centre design and delivery capabilities. It demonstrates just how far we have come in embracing sustainability to deliver our carbon neutrality goals and bring forward exemplar data centre developments. “Breaking ground on this project is a milestone not just for this building, but also for our London campus and our increasingly strong presence in Europe. I’d like to thank everyone who has helped progress this project through the design and planning stage, as well as those who have joined us to celebrate today, and I look forward to a smooth construction process and handover next year.” The facility is expected to be completed in mid-2026. For more from Yondr Group, click here.

atNorth awarded Iceland’s top ICT prize

atNorth, a Nordic colocation, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence service provider, has announced its recognition at one of Iceland’s most prestigious information technology events, UTmessan - along with other leading Icelandic data centre operators - for their role in facilitating the development of Iceland’s infrastructure. The Information Technology Award of The Icelandic Computer Society (Ský) is an honorary prize awarded to organisations for an outstanding contribution to information technology in Iceland. The accolade highlights the positive impact of data centres on Iceland’s digital, power and economic infrastructure. The award was presented by Iceland's President, Halla Tómasdóttir, at a ceremony on 7 February 2025 in Reykjavik. The data centre industry is thriving in Iceland, alongside its Nordic neighbours, due to its naturally cool climate and abundance of renewable energy that enables highly energy-efficient infrastructure cooling techniques. This demand for data centre capacity in Iceland facilitated the country’s investment in digital connectivity and the national power infrastructure to ensure long term sustainability of the supply. Iceland boasts multiple undersea fibre optic cables connecting the country to the UK, North America and mainland Scandinavia and has a robust domestic fibre optic network, with multiple providers offering high-speed internet connectivity - factors that have undoubtedly accelerated the growth of other businesses in the country. “We believe that data centres can be pivotal to a thriving economy and are committed to supporting the countries in which we operate”, says Erling Guðmundsson, COO, atNorth. “We are proud to be recognised alongside our peers as having contributed to putting Iceland on the map as a perfect location for data centres. By collaborating with local governments and like-minded organisations, we hope to create data centre ecosystems that operate with environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and community integration.” atNorth has won many awards for its services, including the ‘Top Energy Efficient HPC Achievements’ award at the HPCwire Reader’s Choice Awards, and the ‘Digital Infrastructure Project of the Year’ prize at the Tech Capital Awards. The business also won the ‘Location Award’ for Iceland at the Tech Capital Awards in 2023 and has been included in TechRound’s Sustainability60 list that celebrates the most exciting sustainability companies across the UK and Europe. For more from atNorth, click here.

Schneider Electric reacts to Government's 'Plan for Change'

On 10 February 2025, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, fired the 'starting gun' on data centres and AI - calling for UK local and regional authorities to put forward their plans to accelerate the development of AI Growth Zones as part of its 'Plan for Change', potentially attracting millions in private investment. Responding to the UK Government's press release - Government fires starting gun on AI Growth Zones to turbocharge Plan for Change - Mark Yeeles, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland, reacts with the following comments: “The news from the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, is welcomed by Schneider Electric, and demonstrates continued progress for the UK’s AI and critical national infrastructure (CNI) ambitions. “As the government ramps up its Plan for Change, its continued engagement with the digital infrastructure ecosystem will not only be integral to accelerate sustainable, economic growth, but will play a key role in its mission to revitalise local communities by delivering much-anticipated new job opportunities, and identifying new measures reskill the workforce. “At Schneider Electric we’ve long-seen the significant potential that the North West of England, particularly Greater Manchester and Leeds, presents to develop AI Growth Zones (AIGZ) and to further supercharge the AI opportunity. However, we must also recognise that Scotland and Wales are well-placed to catalyse growth via the development of new large-scale infrastructure and renewable energy systems, both of which will be vital. “What’s clear is that as we move forward, solving the energy, sustainability and security challenges of artificial intelligence remains integral to deliver a greener future, powered by AI, and we look forward to working with both the government and the ecosystem to exceed these ambitions.” For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Vertiv to launch Liquid Cooling Services portfolio

Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity products, has announced the launch of Vertiv Liquid Cooling Services. The company states that this offering provides customers with the tools to enhance system availability, improve efficiency, and navigate the evolving challenges of advanced liquid cooling systems with confidence. Vertiv has been delivering these services for more than a year to regional early adopters, refining best practices and gaining valuable insights that have now enabled the expansion of its liquid cooling service capabilities on a global scale. This experience brings a mature and proven approach, Vertiv tells us, providing data centre operators worldwide with expert support based on real-world application and success. AI workloads continue to reshape the data centre landscape, driving a significant increase in data centre rack densities, with 30 kW racks now becoming the standard and some reaching up to 120 kW or higher. Operators are facing increased heat loads and higher power densities, and thus the need for liquid cooling solutions to maintain operational continuity is in high demand. “The increasing reliance on liquid-cooled AI servers necessitates a comprehensive approach to lifecycle management,” says Sean Graham, Research Director of Cloud and Data Centre at IDC. “Given the complexities inherent in these cooling ecosystems, a robust support programme is not merely advisable, but a best practice to ensure both system availability and long-term operational viability.” Vertiv's Liquid Cooling Services offering is focused on providing seamless integration of liquid cooling systems with IT equipment and adjacent infrastructure. It includes expert installation and commissioning, ongoing maintenance with special attention to fluid management, cleanliness, and preventing air from entering the system - which is key for system reliability Vertiv believes that traditional maintenance practices aren't enough for the complexities of liquid cooling systems supporting critical AI applications. This offering leverages the company's industry experience and provides best-practices delivery of preventive and condition-based maintenance to provide reliable and efficient system performance and to maximise availability. Vertiv Liquid Cooling Services includes a full range of solutions designed to support AI-driven and high-performance computing environments, providing seamless integration, long-term reliability, and operational continuity. Vertiv’s certified technicians and field engineers provide expert support at every stage, confirming that heat rejection systems and cooling loop fluid systems function optimally: • Startup & Commissioning Services – Proactively identify and address potential issues that could result from improper installation, preventing delays and enabling a smooth and efficient system launch while verifying quality of all of the connected equipment.• Spare Parts Availability – Quick access to replacement components, supporting faster repairs when needed, and reducing potential downtime.• End-to-End Lifecycle Support – Digital, proactive system maintenance is at the core of this offering, allowing long-term reliability and optimised cooling performance. Documentation of all processes supporting the secondary fluid network provides a health history for the equipment to inform ongoing support.• Comprehensive Fluid Management Services – Maintaining optimal coolant quality is essential for reliable system performance. Vertiv’s services include coolant sampling, laboratory testing, contamination prevention, and environmentally responsible disposal to maximise system longevity and efficiency while enhancing system resilience of the secondary fluid network and technology cooling system.• Emergency and preventive support: Emergency response teams provide rapid, on-site and remote support to diagnose and resolve issues, minimising downtime and restoring operations quickly. “High-performance computing (HPC) and AI are critical to business innovation and competitive advantage, making reliability and efficiency in supporting critical digital infrastructure more important than ever," says Ryan Jarvis, Vice President Global Services Business at Vertiv. "As organisations continue to invest in AI-driven systems, they need robust liquid cooling solutions to protect their investment and to enable long-term performance." Vertiv Liquid Cooling Services leverages the Vertiv Global Services network, which provides project services, product support, testing and training for Vertiv’s portfolio of products. Backed by over 240 service centres, more than 3,500 field engineers, and 190-plus technical response specialists, Vertiv provides expert support across multiple regions. The new Liquid Cooling Services offering is now globally available. For more from Vertiv, click here.