Infrastructure

Bridging power crucial in UK’s data centre construction boom

With AI continuing to supercharge UK data centre construction throughout 2024 and grids already under strain, energy solutions specialist, Aggreko is advising facility stakeholders to source decentralised, sustainable power sources to avoid project bottlenecks. According to data from construction consultants, Glenigan, continued demand for AI and machine learning platforms is driving demand for data centres to meet computing capacity needs. As a result, the sector has experienced pronounced expansion, with plans approved to build a wide variety of facilities in multiple sizes across the country. Yet as Billy Durie, Global Sector Head for Data Centres at Aggreko, points out that maintaining this upwards trajectory will require project stakeholders to identify and mitigate future issues that may cause disruption. Specifically, Billy is encouraging those involved in facility construction to keep abreast of developments around National Grid capacity and potential delays securing prime power for sites, and source bridging solutions when required. “The UK’s continued data centre construction boom demonstrates once again that the sector is set to continue its impressive growth. But as demand rises and utilities decarbonise at pace, greater intermittency and strain may hamper facility construction times if not accounted for. It’s a situation we’re seeing across Europe, with many facilities still waiting for a connection from nearby utility substations. “Bridging power can provide an immediate fix for this bottleneck, so it is vital project stakeholders consider what is required before construction begins. Solutions such as battery storage systems complementing on-site generators, secured on a temporary, modular basis, can ensure sites receive flexible power. It is therefore advised that equipment portfolio managers leverage third-party expertise to ensure the most effective solutions that adhere to stringent emissions regulations.” Reducing carbon footprints and supporting the energy transition are key objectives behind Energising Change, Aggreko’s new ESG framework. Fundamental to the initiative is the company’s commitment to help the data centre sector embed low-carbon power and temperature control technologies, alongside more efficient ways of working. The new framework builds on previous themes identified in Aggreko’s Uptime on the Line report, which surveyed 700 European data centre consultants on common pinch points in facility construction. Issues explored in the report included access to plant, decarbonisation and ensuring full power availability on-site, as well as skills shortages. With these pinch points in mind, Billy is advocating relevant stakeholders engage outside expertise to navigate potential concerns that might affect project deadlines. “Data centre construction works to tight deadlines with each stage of the build mapped out with precision, so projects can be progressed without disruption is essential,” Billy concludes. “This is even more important in a market where data centre construction is booming. “However, to get a full, holistic view of all the factors that might affect a build, site stakeholders may need to leverage the knowledge of external experts, especially when it pertains to utilities. By engaging expertise that may not otherwise exist in-house, potential pitfalls can be identified and negated well ahead of time, ensuring projects are completed on-time and to budget.” For more information on Aggreko’s solutions for the data centre sector, click here.

Zayo Group appoints industry veteran Nikos Katinakis as CTO

Zayo Group, a global provider of fibre network infrastructure, has been doubling down on its commitment to network excellence with the appointment of experienced telecommunications leader Nikos Katinakis as Chief Technology Officer. His leadership will bring substantial enhancements in both service delivery and network operations. “Next-generation technology is being deployed faster than ever before. To meet increasing capacity demands, it’s critical to take an enhanced approach to innovation in the network,” says Steve Smith, CEO of Zayo. “Our strategic appointment of Nikos underscores Zayos’ dedication to advancing network excellence. His network experience and expertise combined with Zayo’s capabilities and automated technology will ensure our customers can meet, and exceed, connectivity expectations, now and in the future.” Since 2022, the demand for bandwidth across Zayo’s connectivity technologies has continued to increase exponentially. The demand for bandwidth underscores the urgent need for robust network infrastructure to meet escalating requirements. Zayo's network leadership and ongoing investment in key geographies were instrumental in attracting Nikos to the organisation.  Under Nikos’ leadership, Zayo will advance its network capabilities through extensive automation of its network infrastructure and operational processes to ensure it meets tomorrow’s capacity demands and is easier to consume, where and when customers need it most. “We are at an inflection point in technology, with accessible AI, 5G, and satellite connectivity reshaping how we work,” says Nikos, CTO. “My mid-term vision for Zayo is for us to deliver network infrastructure that’s easy to turn up and manage across edge, core and cloud, enhancing both connectivity and service. Ultimately, we aim to enable our customers to concentrate on their core business and not worry about transport connectivity, because they’ll have Zayo facilitating the creation of resilient and secure networks.”  The appointment of Nikos – who brings network leadership experience from Telstra, Australia’s largest mobile network, Indian pioneer Reliance Jio, Canadian telecommunications giant Rogers, and infrastructure provider Ericsson – underscores Zayo's dedication to delivering best-in-class service excellence.

Green digital infrastructure – where we are, and looking to the future

By Anthea van Scherpenzeel, Senior Sustainability Manager, Colt DCS The amount of data we use is rising rapidly. In fact, by 2025 the volume of data created, captured, copied, and consumed worldwide is predicted to reach 181ZB, more than quadrupling 2019 figures. As data volume increases, data centres must keep up with demand and respond to evolving needs, but this raises new challenges. Creating sustainable digital infrastructure that can cope with these new requirements is a tricky task. Increased power consumption, cooling needs, and new construction can call the green credentials of data centres into question, with sustainability now a key priority for all major stakeholders. However, are data centres the catalyst for sustainable change? And what should they be doing to play their role in the climate fight? Colt DCS takes a look at the past, present, and future of sustainable digital infrastructure, and how we can minimise the environmental impact of data centres for good.  Looking back, and looking in the now In the 1990s and 2000s, demand for data centres was minimal. Primarily used by content providers to host companies and e-commerce sites, their energy consumption and emissions were relatively low. Now, data centres consume huge amounts of energy to support new technologies like cloud, AI, and quantum computing that have an increasingly large impact on the planet. A hyperscale data centre can require around 150MW of grid capacity and consume hundreds of GWh of electricity annually. Add 2023’s boom in generative AI into the mix, and the carbon footprint of data centres will only increase. For instance, the AI industry alone could consume as much energy as the Netherlands by 2027. Data centres are currently responsible for 1% of energy-related global greenhouse emissions with the IEA signalling that improvement is needed in this space. The environmental impact of data centres must not be underestimated. In line with the Paris Agreement, hyperscalers must set their own tangible targets to decrease their impact on the planet, as well as supporting their customers’ net zero strategies. However, not all data centres are as ahead of the curve as others. Data centres need to step up Data centres have a responsibility to up their environmental game. Not only to meet the needs of the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and EU Taxonomy, but also to win the business of those with clear sustainability strategies in place. There are many areas where data centres can improve their green credentials, including energy, waste, and biodiversity. Hyperscalers are in a prime position to source renewable energy, implement more efficient or less harmful cooling equipment, and harness waste energy to keep emissions and environmental impact down. But considerations for the environment often end here.  True decarbonisation requires tangible net zero strategies, achieved through collaboration with customers and suppliers. With the CSRD and Scope 3 tracking, data centres need to be more aware and conscious of third-party emissions than ever before. Being on the same sustainability journey as partners goes one step further, ensuring that ESG is not just a tick-box exercise. Ultimately, your efforts can be negated when green initiatives are overshadowed by unsustainable partners. The value chain must be analysed and partners must be engaged in important conversations to align sustainability goals and priorities. Setting goals for the path ahead Science-based, measurable goals create a clear view of the path ahead. There will always be uncertainties with long-term targets, with new regulations, laws in different nations, and global events throwing a spanner in the works. However, when data centres create a science-based roadmap and feasible targets, this short-term uncertainty is unlikely to put long-term goals at risk. One element that will become more important in the future is data centres’ embedded carbon footprint. Likely to play a large role in reporting, this includes metrics that cover the whole lifecycle of a data centre from shipping materials to construction to operation. For complete transparency, more thorough data is needed from the start of a data centre project to ensure sustainable practices are baked in from a project’s inception. Monitoring usually takes place from the on-switch, but this doesn’t account for the environmental impact of the whole value chain.  This makes supplier evaluation and partner choice even more important. One data centre provider can only do so much, it’s up to all the players in the market to work together to drive a bigger impact for the overall industry. Furthermore, digital infrastructure operators must work with partners and customers to align on sustainability as a core part of strategy. With the boom in AI and the increased need for data centres, we must be cautious that racing to keep pace with innovation doesn’t push sustainability down the priority list. It is important for businesses to consider the environmental impact of their data, and to choose the right partner who can help in achieving a net zero status throughout their operational network. When managed correctly, data centres can, and should, be a key player in the climate fight. Sustainability will soon be a key differentiator, and as collaboration increases to fulfil reporting regulations, choosing the right partners to reach net zero targets will be vital. 

EXA Infrastructure announces CEO appointment

EXA Infrastructure, a fibre backbone and transatlantic subsea cable infrastructure provider, ensuring secure and resilient services, has announced that Jim Fagan is appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 August.  Jim is joining EXA from Aqua Comms where he has been CEO since May 2023. Prior to Aqua Comms, Jim worked at Global Cloud Exchange, where he played the key role of Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer as part of a small team which lifted the business out of bankruptcy and ultimately sold it successfully to 3i, the UK-based private equity and venture capital company. Jim has an extensive career in the telecoms and data centre industry working within United States and internationally with companies including Telstra, Pacnet and Rackspace. Since November 2023, Nick Read, Executive Chair of EXA Board of Directors, has been providing CEO oversight to EXA and leading the search for the future CEO. He will continue to provide this oversight until Jim joins and then will actively support him grow the business, moving forward, in his role as Executive Chair. Nick says, “This announcement marks the next phase in EXA’s growth story, where we will see EXA continue to focus on strategic investments to support our customer growth driven by cloud, content and AI. Jim brings a deep sector knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of our customers coupled with the ability to optimise our operations to ensure we excel in industry leading service delivery.” Jim remarks, “EXA Infrastructure is recognised in the industry for its unique footprint of owned network assets and a skilled team that specialise in digital infrastructure. I am excited to join at this pivotal moment, where the data growth demand driven from AI, will need to be met by secure and resilient players like EXA.” 

Zayo Group’s ‘near-net’ expansion brings 100G connectivity to businesses across Western Europe

Zayo Group has announced that thousands more businesses throughout Europe can access up to 100G connectivity, thanks to its near-net expansion. This development enhances the connectivity options for businesses across the UK and Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, and France. It provides robust and high-speed network solutions, meeting customers' evolving IT infrastructure needs, and allowing Zayo to easily connect organisations near its fibre infrastructure. Currently, Zayo provides approximately 7,000 buildings across eight key European markets with near-net connectivity. Expansion is planned throughout 2024 in London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Stuttgart, Berlin, Dublin, and various markets in France. Omdia data highlights that 63% of enterprises have invested in a private data centre to achieve 100G connectivity, whilst 54% are partnering with multiple public cloud providers for the same outcome. Zayo’s near-net expansion removes this need by delivering reliable, scalable connectivity for thousands more businesses near its fibre infrastructure. Michael Katz, VP of Products and Technology, says, “Too many businesses rely on incumbent broadband services, which can significantly hinder performance and productivity. Our near-net expansion leaves this issue in the past for thousands more businesses throughout Europe. We will bring our suite of connectivity services to the front door for companies that have previously struggled with unreliable connectivity options, streamlining the process, and creating an environment where they can easily adopt cloud systems and innovative technologies to help their businesses thrive. Zayo designs, builds, and delivers the highest quality, low-latency networks to markets throughout Europe, and this is just another step forward in our continued expansion plans.” Ian Redpath, Research Director at Omdia, says, “74% of enterprises need a 100G connection to support their own private and multiple public cloud data centres. Zayo’s near-net expansion extends fibre infrastructure directly into many more client sites, enabling 100Gbps high capacity, low latency, arterial connectivity required to support today’s modern, cloud-centric, IT infrastructure.”

Don’t compromise on power protection

By David Bond, Chairman, Centiel UK When we are ill, we consult a doctor, a trusted expert in the human body, to diagnose and appropriately treat the problem. They will also advise on how to best prevent a recurrence of the problem. Hopefully, we don’t listen to “old wives tales” that guarantee an immediate cure. The same common sense applies with the diagnosis, help and advice for critical power protection. Nobody would knowingly purchase an inferior UPS, but how would they know a good UPS from an inferior one? If you’re not a UPS expert, it’s easy to fall for sales talk and marketing speak, but just like a doctor won’t try and ‘sell’ you unnecessary medication, real UPS experts will act as trusted advisors and will only act in their customers’ best interest. No sales 'spin', just facts and sound advice. While Centiel’s team of UPS experts don’t swear an hypocritic oath like a doctor does, every Centiel employee signs up to a set of core values which keeps the best interests of customers at the heart of everything they do, namely:   We always behave with integrity We are honest and open in our business transactions We treat our customers, suppliers and each other with respect We constantly strive to improve our customer service We never compromise on health, safety or environmental matters Finding the best way to protect critical power is a complex topic. Therefore, Centiel’s expert team act as trusted advisors to all customers, including data centres, hospitals and all IT facilities, to ensure they always have the optimal UPS solution, whilst reducing their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and maximising their system availability. Centiel’s engineers and UPS solutions experts and are not required to 'sell' UPS. Instead they establish long term relationships by offering their wealth of experience and expertise. By taking time to understand the challenges faced, they always provide the best advice in relation to solutions based on best practice. It's this long-term vision and close relationships with Centiel’s clients which led to the development of its industry-leading UPS solutions. For example, Centiel recently launched StratusPower, which shares all the benefits of the award-winning three phase, true modular UPS CumulusPower - including '9 nines' (99.9999999%) availability to effectively eliminate system downtime; class leading 97.6% online efficiency to minimise running costs; true 'hot swap' modules to eliminate human error in operation – but now also includes long-life components to improve sustainability. StratusPower minimises TCO because of its class-leading efficiency and low maintenance costs and it is fully scalable, so is unlikely be outgrown.   Centiel’s experts help organisations around the world understand TCO calculations and provide best recommendations to protect power from day one and into the future. Armed with this information, informed decisions can be made about the most appropriate option to protect critical power, reduce carbon footprint and maintain the highest level of availability. So just like you would consult a doctor to maintain your optimal health, when it comes to looking at UPS solutions, don’t compromise. Choose experts who will provide best advice to protect your critical power. To arrange a discussion or for more information, click here.

The role of generator maintenance in ensuring power resilience

Until now, renewable energy plants in Germany have not been set up for emergency power supply in the event of a power outage. That is about to change, thanks to the award-winning LINDA research project and Crestchic’s load bank technology, which is a critical part of the solution.  What is the LINDA project?  Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the project looks at how renewable energy plants could supply power to a local 'island' grid in a decentralised way in the event of a power failure. The project, Local Island Grid Supply and Accelerated Grid Reconstruction, with Decentralised Generation Plants in the Event of Large-scale Power Outages (or the more simple 'LINDA'), seeks to explore, test and implement ways of making power generation systems use renewable energy sources for emergency power supplies.  In 2018, phase one of the project, which involved partners from across academia and industry, including the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, the Technical University of Munich, LEW Verteilnetz and LEW Wasserkraft, and KIMA automation, won the ISGAN Award (International Smart Grid Action Network) and the Bavarian Energy Prize. The project included the development of a new emergency generator that successfully integrated renewable decentralised power generation systems, including photovoltaic systems, hydroelectric power plants and a biogas plant, into an independent island grid. In the event of a power failure, the system was designed to supply a local grid with electricity power from existing renewable energy sources.  Emergency power - limitations of the current approach  Historically, emergency power generators have been operated in such a way that power failures can result in a temporary lapse in supply while the generator kicks in. As well as causing momentary outages and fluctuations in supply, these backups are usually supplied by diesel generators. With the new approach, the system is designed to provide a continuous supply in the event of a power failure, using power from multiple decentralised systems, and crucially, favouring renewables as a backup power source.  In pilots of the system, LINDA was able to guarantee the uninterrupted power supply of households in the test communities. This was done without costly retrofitting of the current systems, providing an important building block for the energy transition and improved security of supply. LINDA 2.0 - automating backup power  In the second phase of the project, LINDA 2.0, the research team is developing a supply concept with battery storage and a diesel generator to provide an additional backup power supply. As well as providing a backup, the system is being designed to automatically balance the fluctuating power generation from decentralised systems and the energy load itself. As well as ensuring a stable and secure power supply without interruptions, the automation will enable the system to shift into emergency mode remotely, without the need for staff to be on site.  Bespoke loadbank solution helps to balance frequency  In order to automate the system, AVS - a German blackout management specialist that provides generators and grid stabilisation systems to a range of industries - worked with the team at Crestchic Loadbanks to create a fully automatic hybrid frequency-controlled power control for generators up to 1300kVA.  Dubbed AVS Greenomic, the solution allows the system to prioritise drawing on renewable energy, for example, CHP, wind power or photovoltaic systems, in order to provide backup power in a blackout scenario, allowing diesel fuel consumption to be reduced by up to 80%. The load bank itself provides a stability of voltage and frequency when switching between different power sources, and maintains a constant 20% load on the generator. Any oversupply of energy is also consumed in a controlled manner, helping to balance the power generation system and smooth out any frequency imbalances. Mike Derbyshire, European Area Sales Manager at Crestchic, explains, “We’ve worked with AVS for a number of years, so were delighted to collaborate with them on a bespoke solution that would meet the requirements of the LINDA project. Our standard loadbanks and controllers were adapted to allow AVS to add their own control system, and we added additional fuse protection, an interface between the loadbank and the Greenomic assembly and the power connections themselves, all of which enables the system to balance the frequency and ensure and reliable and stable supply. It’s a high-profile project and we’re pleased to have been able to use our technical experience to support and enable the project goals.”

Vertiv names Intec Microsystems as new distributor for the UK and Ireland

Vertiv has announced a new strategic partnership in the UK and Ireland with Intec Microsystems, an IT hardware, software and services distributor. The partnership brings together the expertise of Intec Microsystem’s highly capable sales force across the UK and Ireland and Vertiv’s ever-expanding suite of best-in-class products, solutions, services and asset management hardware and software. Vertiv’s Partner Programme, combined with the Vertiv Solution Designer product selection tool, and a growing partner-focused Marketing Centre resource library, dovetails perfectly with the add-value approach that Intec Microsystems already brings to its reseller network. In partnering with Intec Microsystems, its evolving channel segment continues to grow and deliver true depth of distribution offering to its expanding reseller partner network. Vertiv continues to invest in growing its sales team, partner programme, incentives and tools. This is backed by further investment in its UK & Ireland distributor partners to bring further opportunity, availability and value to the market.

Vertiv launches UPS for edge and mid-sized applications in EMEA

Vertiv has introduced the Vertiv Liebert APM2, a new energy efficient and scalable power solution to its uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems portfolio. The Liebert APM2 is compatible with lithium-ion (Li-ion) and VRLA batteries, and features a compact design that can scale from 30kW to 600kW in a single unit. It offers significant energy savings as compared to less efficient alternatives, and can also parallel with up to four matching units for additional capacity or redundancy. It is a CE certified UPS system available in 400V in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. To satisfy the increasing power needs of edge computing applications, as well as the constrained space typical of these sites, it delivers a greater power output in a smaller footprint than similar capacity solutions, with the models requiring up to 45% less space than the predecessor UPS, Vertiv Liebert APM. The Liebert APM2 operates with high energy efficiency in all modes, up to 97.5% in double-conversion mode; up to 98.8% efficiency when operating in dynamic online mode, which draws power through the bypass line and uses the inverter for balanced output and as an active filter; and up to 99% when operating in ECO mode, which takes advantage of stable grid input conditions to leverage the bypass line. All modes are automated based on user preferences. The intelligent paralleling feature facilitates load sharing among multiple power modules, even across multiple units. This enables balanced unit runtime and offers automatic failover for enhanced system availability. Intelligent paralleling has also been shown to contribute to energy efficiency. “Vertiv has introduced, in Liebert APM2 and other UPS systems, enhancements that improve operational efficiency and can contribute to a reduced data centre PUE, while also maintaining system availability,” says Giovanni Zanei, Senior Director, AC Power Global Offering and EMEA Business Leader at Vertiv. “In particular, the dynamic online feature, built on a robust global platform launched in 2018, enhances the already impressive UPS efficiency and has been adopted by energy and availability conscious customers, including many colocators.”

atNorth announces Chief HPC Officer as Gompute acquisition closes

atNorth has announced the appointment of Daniel Persson to the Executive Team as Chief High Performance Computing (HPC) Officer. The appointment follows atNorth’s recent acquisition of Gompute, provider of HPC and data centre services that Daniel co-founded in 2002. The acquisition and subsequent appointment of Daniel is part of atNorth’s ambitious plans to scale effectively to meet the increasing demand for cost-efficient and sustainable digital infrastructure. The business remains committed to providing the best-in-class HPC services. Daniel is a well-known and proven industry leader, having co-founded the HPC business Gridcore/Gompute in 2002 and played a key role in the development of the Gompute HPC platform. Under his leadership, the Gompute HPC platform and atNorth’s HPC-infrastructure-as-a-service solution will provide customers with a compelling pan-Nordic full-stack offering tailored to HPC and AI workloads. “I am thrilled to join atNorth as we continue to drive innovation in the data centre and HPC industry,” says Daniel. "atNorth’s extensive growth plans and high-quality leadership make for an exciting journey, and together, I am confident that we can meet the future needs of the industry by utilising the best in sustainable high-performance infrastructure.”