Infrastructure

ABB and Applied Digital announce partnership

Applied Digital, a builder and operator of data centres, has launched an infrastructure partnership with ABB, a multinational corporation specialising in industrial automation and electrification products, at the company’s greenfield 400 MW campus in North Dakota, United States. The collaboration aims to innovate energy-efficient solutions to meet the needs of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As part of this long-term partnership, the first orders were booked in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. Further financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. Central to the partnership is a new medium voltage power architecture using ABB’s HiPerGuard Medium Voltage Static Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The HiPerGuard technology seeks to help AI data centres increase power density while compressing electrical plant footprints and increasing energy efficiency. The partnership covers the complete design and development of the site’s electrical infrastructure. Conventional data centres use low voltage power distribution and UPS systems. Switching to medium voltage for the UPS system and power distribution should enable data centres to scale more efficiently, expanding in 25 MW blocks. With fewer parts and cabling, installation should be simpler and reliability higher. "What we are building with ABB is going to completely change the way our industry designs large-scale data centres. By leveraging ABB's cutting-edge technology and global reach, we are able to redefine the electrical infrastructure landscape and meet the growing demands to support large-scale AI Factories,” claims Todd Gale, Chief Development Officer, Applied Digital. Massimiliano Cifalitti, Smart Power President, ABB Electrification, comments, "Partnerships like this are accelerating the timeline for AI-ready data centres with more competitive, resilient power infrastructures. ABB’s technology is designed for peak performance with dedicated capacity across our global production network and industry-leading innovation. ABB teams are ready to deliver at scale and at speed.” For more from ABB, click here.

Trane expands liquid cooling portfolio

Trane, an American manufacturer of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, has announced enhanced liquid cooling capabilities for its thermal management systems, intended to help data centres become more future-ready. These include new, scalable Coolant Distribution Units (CDU), from 2.5MW to 10MW. “We are a trusted innovator for mission-critical infrastructure, continuously co-innovating with our customers to design and develop the custom, integrated thermal management systems needed to support sustainable business growth,” claims Steve Obstein, Vice President and General Manager, Data Centers & High-Tech, Trane Technologies. “Through our scalable, modular approach to liquid cooling we can provide a platform for future sustainable capacity growth and thermal load requirements associated with rapidly escalating AI needs.” The scalable 2.5MW to 10MW platform adds to Trane's 1MW CDU, aiming to give data centres flexible, direct-to-chip cooling capacity to manage high-density computing environments. The company says it supports operations and uptime throughout the lifecycle of the data centre through its service and network of data-centre-qualified technicians, located in proximity to customers, and Smart Service options for monitoring, predictive maintenance, and energy management. Key features of the new products include: • Modular scalability — Supporting cooling capacities up to 10MW, adaptable to data centre sizes. • Direct-to-chip liquid cooling technology — Optimised for high-density data centres. • Compact footprint — Provides up to 10MW cooling capacity in a factory-skid-mounted design. • Service and support — Access to resources and data-centre-qualified technicians from Trane. For more from Trane, click here.

Nebius launches in the UK

Nebius, an AI infrastructure company, today announced the expansion of its global AI infrastructure footprint with a deployment of NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs in the UK. The deployment should enhance the UK’s national digital infrastructure and drive long-term economic growth by enabling British firms – from start-ups to enterprises – to build AI using one of the world’s most advanced compute. It should also support the UK’s world-leading academic and research communities and public services, including the NHS. Arkady Volozh, Founder and CEO of Nebius, says, “We’re pleased to be providing compute infrastructure that will support future innovation by British businesses, researchers, and the public sector. The UK is where AI is being built, tested, and deployed at scale across industries from fintech to life sciences. Being here puts us closer to the start-ups, researchers, and enterprise leaders shaping what’s next.” Nebius’ first investment in the UK is the latest milestone in its buildout of AI infrastructure to support AI innovation at scale. With the addition of the UK, Nebius will operate seven AI clusters in six countries across Europe, the US, and the Middle East, making the company one of the largest independent AI infrastructure builders globally. The deployment of thousands of NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs in the UK is expected to be operational during Q4 2025. Nebius AI Cloud leverages the NVIDIA accelerated computing platform, and the company is the first Reference Platform NVIDIA Cloud Partner headquartered in Europe. Dave Salvator, NVIDIA Director of Accelerated Computing Products, comments, “Local infrastructure gives enterprises and start-ups in every nation a foundation for building their own AI-enabled future. Nebius’ UK-based NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra infrastructure will support British innovators in developing and deploying advanced reasoning, agentic, and physical AI applications.” The GPU deployment supports a key objective laid out in the UK government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan to build up Britain’s domestic compute capacity. As well as benefiting British AI innovators and enterprises, the AI infrastructure being delivered by Nebius should contribute to supporting job creation and attracting additional investments into the UK’s AI economy. Nebius recently launched its first specialist offering with a team led out of the UK to support the healthcare, life sciences, and biotech sectors. Other British customers include companies in financial services and generative AI, as well as research institutes such as the London Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Nebius’ team in the UK also contributes to AI research, with in-house AI R&D also led out of London. For more from Nebius, click here.

New Kao Data campaign highlights women

Kao Data, a developer and operator of high-performance data centres, announces the launch of 'Critical Careers: Celebrating Women in Digital Infrastructure,' a new campaign that highlights the stories, careers, and contributions of women across the digital infrastructure sector. With the sector evolving at unprecedented speed to support AI, cloud, and enterprise innovation, the project brings together interviews with women from all backgrounds, geographies, ages, and disciplines. From engineering to real estate, from marketing to HR, the women featured in Critical Careers represent a wide spectrum of roles and life experiences. Many are well-known industry leaders, while others may be less familiar by name. “Critical Careers aims to celebrate the remarkable women who are thriving in digital infrastructure. We wanted to take an in-depth look at the countless, impactful contributions women from all disciplines and at all stages of their careers are making to the industry,” says Kalay Moody, Chief People Officer at Kao Data. “What we discovered is that no two stories are the same, but together they reflect the importance of diverse experiences in driving progress and innovation in mission critical infrastructure.” “Women in the data centre industry bring a balance that is essential for holistic problem-solving and innovation. By integrating different perspectives and approaches, teams can achieve more balanced and effective solutions,” comments Cláudia Alves, Strategic Negotiator, Google. “Critical Careers is showcasing all the ways women are making a difference in the data centre industry and that there’s no one way to lead, contribute, or succeed.” For more from Kao Data, click here.

Conapto and Vertical Data announce partnership

Conapto, a Swedish sustainable data centre provider, and Vertical Data, a provider of enterprise AI business solutions, have jointly announced a strategic partnership aimed at delivering scalable, secure, and environmentally sustainable AI infrastructure. With digital transformation accelerating across industries, businesses are increasingly seeking partners who can provide robust IT infrastructure while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability. This collaboration brings together Vertical Data’s experience in provision of GPU-based AI infrastructure with Conapto’s AI-ready, climate-friendly colocation services. “We’re excited to partner with Vertical Data to meet the rising demand for AI and data-driven infrastructure,” announces Stefan Nilsson, CCO of Conapto. “This collaboration allows us to extend our value to customers by providing turnkey, AI-optimised environments that are both sustainable and performance-driven.” Vertical Data will leverage Conapto’s Stockholm-based data centres to support its growing customer base in Sweden. These facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy and incorporate heat reuse for district heating, as well as grid support to the national grid. “This partnership allows us to extend our capabilities and offer our customers reliable, high-performance infrastructure with sustainability built-in,” says Hamid Djam, CTO at Vertical Data. “Conapto’s track record and vision make them the ideal partner as we continue to scale.” For more from Conapto, click here.

Yondr's first milestone at Johor data centre

Yondr Group, a global developer, owner, and operator of hyperscale data centres, has handed over the first 25MW IT of the company’s Johor data centre to its client six months ahead of schedule. The 98MW IT data centre is part of the largest hyperscale data centre campus in Southeast Asia. Located in Johor’s Sedenak Tech Park, the data centre is situated on Yondr’s 300MW IT campus, set on a 72.5-acre site. The asset is Yondr’s first facility to enter into live operation in the APAC region, marking a milestone in the company’s global expansion as it also continues to deliver developments across Europe and North America. Yondr’s Johor data centre has been designed and delivered as an AI/ML facility to enable the latest GPU technology as demand for AI systems grows. The company additionally continues to work towards completion on several live projects around the world, with assets across three continents now in their operational phase. Mark Avery, Senior Vice President of Design & Construction APAC at Yondr Group, says, “The first ready-for-service (RFS) milestone at our data centre is a momentous occasion for Yondr, for our 300MW+ IT campus, and for the APAC data centre market. “As the data race continues to escalate thanks to the growth in AI, we are delivering on our blueprint for direct-to-chip cooled, cost-efficient, secure, and scalable data centres around the world, supporting our clients to provide the urgent capacity they require in strategic locations, with resilience and sustainability designed into every asset.” Aksel Vansten, Development Director, APAC, adds, “Yondr entered the Malaysian data centre market just three years ago and became one of Johor’s pioneers, joined by some of the largest data centre developer-operators and cloud AI/ML end users in the globe. “We are proud to be delivering our initial RFS milestone here so far ahead of schedule with a project that brought online the largest scale and highest quality asset in the region with an unyielding commitment to health and safety. We are thankful to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), as well as International Finance Corporation (IFC) and all our lenders and vendors for their invaluable support.” Achieving the data centre’s first completion milestone follows Yondr securing more than $900 million in project financing for the development last December. The financing was provided by a consortium of lenders, including DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, Global Infrastructure Partners (a part of Blackrock), HSBC, International Finance Corporation (IFC), ING, and Natixis CIB. Working with the syndicate lenders, Yondr secured the financing as a green loan. Hisham Muhammad, Yondr’s Client Solutions Engineering Director, APAC, comments, “Liquid-to-chip and heat rejection will be central to achieving industry-leading PUE standards at our facility in Johor, delivering on Yondr’s green loan obligations, our sustainability aims, and the client’s vision for long-term environmental performance. “We are delighted not only to celebrate our first completion milestone, but also to be announcing it six months ahead of schedule. We’d like to thank our client for working in close collaboration with us – an approach that Yondr aspires to on every project.” Paul Dillon, Chief Development Officer, concludes, “What has been achieved on this landmark project is a testament to our people’s strategic foresight and commitment to forging deep local partnerships. It positions Malaysia as a regional hub for digital innovation and ensures our clients are ready for the data-driven future. I would like to personally thank our internal Yondr teams and valued partners, without whom this wouldn’t be possible.” For more from Yondr, click here.

DE-CIX Dallas completes infrastructure upgrade

DE-CIX, an Internet Exchange (IX) operator, has announced the completion of a major infrastructure upgrade for DE-CIX Dallas – the largest data centre and carrier neutral IX in Texas. As part of the upgrade, 400 GE (Gigabit Ethernet) access ports are now generally available to customers, 100 GE access options have been expanded, and the platform has also been made 800 GE-ready, with the aim of helping the region prepare for the upcoming boom in internet peering services and latency-sensitive AI applications. One of the key changes of the upgrade is enhanced 100 GE access options for customers, now including 100 GE LR technology. While traditional 100 GE LR4 access requires four lasers for transmission, 100 GE LR requires only one laser and uses pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) to ship data at 100 Gbit/s for a lower hardware cost, increasing efficiency and reducing the cost of optical hardware on the customer side. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the industry consortium 100G Lambda MSA, this could result in a transceiver cost reduction of more than 40%. Customer hand-off using 100 GE LR4 will continue to be available. The upgrade of DE-CIX Dallas using 400 GE wavelength technology should also increase the scalability of the platform. Additionally, the company has upgraded the US-wide backbone connecting Dallas to locations such as New York, Chicago, and Seattle, and has also connected the city to DE-CIX’s recently commissioned distributed IX in Mexico, with access points in Mexico City and Queretaro. News of the Dallas upgrade comes just weeks after the announcement that Nokia was selected by DE-CIX to upgrade New York’s largest IX backbone to 400 GE wavelength technology while offering 800 GE support. DE-CIX Internet and Cloud Exchanges in New York, Dallas, Chicago, Richmond, Houston, Phoenix, and the dedicated Cloud Exchange in Seattle, together with the Mexican IX, now form the largest carrier and data centre neutral interconnection ecosystem in the North America. If Texas was a country, it would be the eighth largest economy in the world, surpassing the likes of Brazil and Italy with a GDP of $2.4 trillion. According to analysts at Cushman and Wakefield, Dallas ranks sixth in global data centre market size, and the city was also recently ranked as the top business hub in America – in part due to its reputation for technological innovation. This upgrade to DE-CIX Dallas increases data capacity on the regional exchange and hopes to prime it for future growth. “By providing 100 GE LR and 400 GE access, introducing 400 GE wavelength technology in the backbone, and making the hub 800 GE-ready, we have now effectively future-proofed DE-CIX Dallas for the emerging needs of its customers,” comments Thomas King, CTO of DE-CIX. “Demand for large capacities and easy-to-consume interconnection services is set to increase dramatically in the coming years, driven by traffic from high-resolution video content, online gaming, and – of course – artificial intelligence. Customers require simplified solutions to ensure seamless integration of interconnection into their network management and infrastructure strategies to keep pace with this data traffic growth. This is why we not only increased capacity, but also further increased the resilience of the network and added an additional router in the Equinix DA11 facility.” DE-CIX Dallas is the operator’s second largest IX in North America, with over 140 networks connected. According to Ed d’Agostino, Vice President, DE-CIX North America, “Dallas is a vital transmission hub for our entire North American ecosystem, with a massive coverage potential spanning the South and Southwest regions of the USA and eastern Mexico. The investment in upgrading DE-CIX Dallas demonstrates our continuing commitment to this very important market and the expectation of substantial additional growth.” For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Siemens, Cadolto, Legrand introduce new modular data centre

Siemens Smart Infrastructure, a division of German conglomerate Siemens focusing on intelligent building technologies, energy systems, and digital infrastructure solutions, Cadolto Datacenter, and Legrand Data Center Solutions are jointly unveiling a next-generation, modular edge data centre. The system will debut at Data Center World Frankfurt, taking place 4-5 June 2025. Unlike containerised data centres, this solution aims to offer customisable, prefabricated modules that can be tailored to operational needs and deployed faster. Siemens integrates its full suite of Smart Infrastructure technologies – from medium- and low-voltage power distribution to building automation, fire safety, and physical security systems. Cadolto acts as manufacturer and general contractor of the modular edge data centre, delivering the prefabricated modular building with integrated climate control. Legrand brings its knowledge in IT white space infrastructure – from racks and structured cabling to intelligent Power Distribution Units (PDUs) and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems. “With digital transformation accelerating across every industry, our customers need infrastructure that moves as fast as they do,” says Ciaran Flanagan, Global Head of Data Center Solutions & Services at Siemens AG. “This solution offers all the performance of a traditional data centre, but with the agility to scale quickly, tailored to our customers’ specific needs. When ramping up capacity, it’s just a case of plugging it in.” The data centre has been designed to be suitable for both permanent operation and interim use, to be able to be deployed wherever needed – from high-performance computing in pharmaceutical environments to temporary applications such as test setups in the automotive sector or space-constrained office locations. There will also be “IT-ready” rental models which intend to enable fast deployment without upfront investment, making them appropriate for temporary IT hubs, lab environments, or other short-term infrastructure needs. Visitors can experience the new data centre first-hand at Data Center World Frankfurt, Hall 8, Catering Area CA4, where a full-scale demo unit will be on display. For more from Siemens, click here.

JTS opens second Idaho facility

JTS, a Mission Critical Group (MCG) company, has announced the opening of a new 172,000 ft² manufacturing facility on 14 acres in Nampa, Idaho, USA, known as JTS Nampa 1. The $55 million investment adds 140 jobs, doubles the company’s production capacity, and supports long-term economic growth in the region. MCG’s US-based manufacturing footprint now exceeds 1 million ft², reinforcing its commitment to building critical power infrastructure in America. “This expansion marks a pivotal moment for JTS and the customers we serve,” says Greg Blake, President of JTS. “We’re doubling our capacity and accelerating our ability to deliver innovative, high-quality power solutions that keep critical infrastructure running. We’re proud to invest in the community and drive the next chapter of American manufacturing here in Idaho.” JTS now operates three locations: Caldwell, ID; Nampa, ID; and Abilene, TX. JTS Nampa 1, located near the Caldwell facility, shares resources and was built using LEAN manufacturing principles. “The new Nampa facility is more than an expansion – it’s a milestone in our mission to shape the future of American manufacturing,” comments Jeff Drees, CEO of Mission Critical Group. “It strengthens our ability to serve data centres, hospitals, utilities, and other critical infrastructure with dependable power solutions. We’re also proud that our shared ownership model gives employees a real stake in our success, aligning our growth with the prosperity of the people who power it.” Due to ongoing investments in data centres, infrastructure, and advanced technologies, the United States' electricity demand is expected to increase by over 50% by 2050. Meeting this growing energy need will require innovative and resilient power and electrical system solutions. Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling adds, “We’re proud to welcome JTS’s new facility to Nampa. This investment brings 140 quality jobs to our city and strengthens our local economy. It’s a great example of how strategic partnerships and innovation can fuel lasting impact in our community.” A grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration, including remarks and tours, will take place at the JTS Nampa 1 facility on 17 June 2025 from 12:00pm to 3:30pm MT. For more from JTS, click here.

Eaton and Siemens Energy to join forces

Intelligent power management company Eaton, and Siemens Energy, one of the world’s leading energy technology companies, have announced a fast-track approach to building data centres with integrated onsite power. They intend to address urgent market needs by offering reliable, grid-independent energy supplies and standardised modular systems to facilitate swift data centre construction and deployment. The collaboration will enable simultaneous construction of data centres and associated on-site power generation with grid connection and the integration of renewables to meet any regional regulatory requirements. This aims to provide data centre owners and developers with choices they don’t have at present to enable them to build and run new data centres. Siemens Energy’s modular and scalable power plant concept is designed to be tailored to the specific needs of data centre operators. The standard configuration generates 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity featuring SGT-800 gas turbines, redundancy, and additional battery storage systems. Based on its modular approach, the size of the plant can be scaled up and down. In the future, it could also operate in a carbon-neutral manner, provided hydrogen is available and a part of the data centre’s sustainability strategy. The Siemens Energy concept also includes an optional emission-free, clean air grid connection to be installed either during construction or as a retrofit. This feature would enable data centres to provide grid services. Eaton will provide customers with electrical equipment such as medium voltage switchgear, low voltage switchgear, UPS, busways, structural support, racks and containment systems, engineering services, and the software offerings needed to protect and enable IT loads from the medium-voltage grid to the chip, as well as help accelerate building and commissioning data centres with skidded and modular designs. Cyrille Brisson, Global Segment Leader, Data Centers, Eaton, says, “Our approach of letting customers pick the right balance of energy sources is very flexible and construction to start-up time is swift, with options to reduce emissions in both the short and long term. Crucially, our approach offers data centre owners and developers the opportunity to build capacity and bring it online fast in any location where they have land available that is close to gas, water, and fibre.” Andreas Pistauer, Global Head of Sales, Siemens Energy’s Gas Services Business Area, states, “We offer hyperscalers, co-locators, and investors a unique package, enabling them to reduce the time-to-market by up to two years in many places, which leads to significant revenue gains. Our power plant design is built with redundancy, eliminating the need for backup diesel generators and reducing CO2 emissions by about 50%.” For more from Eaton, click here.