News

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.

Energy Transfer to provide gas to CloudBurst data centre

Energy Transfer has announced that it has entered into a long-term agreement with Denver-based CloudBurst Data Centers to provide natural gas to CloudBurst’s flagship AI-focused data centre development in Central Texas. The agreement calls for Energy Transfer’s Oasis Pipeline, LP to provide up to 450,000 MMBtu per day of firm natural gas supply to CloudBurst’s next-generation data centre campus outside of San Marcos, Texas, subject to CloudBurst reaching a final investment decision (FID) with its customer. The natural gas supply would be sufficient to generate up to approximately 1.2 gigawatts of direct, or 'behind the meter' electric power for a period of at least 10 years starting with Phase 1 of the data centre facilities. CloudBurst expects to reach FID later this year and in such event, the facility would be operational in Q3 of 2026. This represents Energy Transfer’s first commercial arrangement to supply natural gas directly to a data centre. Energy Transfer says that it is uniquely positioned to provide reliable natural gas supply that is crucial to the data centre operations under development, many of which are in close proximity to its vast network of more than 105,000 miles of natural gas gathering, and intrastate and interstate transportation pipelines and storage facilities with a combined storage capacity of nearly 236 billion cubic feet. Additionally, Energy Transfer is in discussions with a number of data centre developers and expects this to be the first of many agreements to supply, store and transport natural gas to fuel data centres, electric generation facilities and other power demand customers throughout its nationwide footprint. Cynthia Thompson Executive Chair, CloudBurst Data Centers, comments, “We are very excited about our close relationship with Energy Transfer and feel extremely confident in its ability to provide redundancy through its vast pipeline network and storage capacity. In addition, we will work closely with Energy Transfer to identify additional potential data centre sites, on or close to their strategic natural gas pipeline network, using our proprietary site selection software.”

Manchester data centre appoints connectivity partner

Network services provider, Principle Networks, has been appointed by Datum Datacentres to deliver a high-speed IP transit network for Datum’s new data centre in Manchester. The new IP transit network will enable Datum to deliver high-performance internet connectivity to its clients, and is designed to scale in a manner which ensures end users can increase their consumption of internet-based services, without concerns over connectivity limitations. Through the utilisation of Cisco’s best-in-class service provider internet edge routers to host full internet routing tables, the new network will deliver direct access to the internet backbone, ensuring that Datum has greater control over routing policies, and that it can optimise traffic profiles and maximise network availability and reliability. Datum’s new Manchester data centre facility, MCR2, is currently under construction and is due to go live in spring 2025. It will offer 24,000 square foot of technical space within the 50,000 square foot building. Matt Edgley, COO at Datum Datacentres, comments, “After Principle Networks successfully delivered a similar project at our Farnborough data centre facility, we decided to appoint them as a preferred partner for our new Manchester facility. This complex and critical project required a team that we could trust. The highly resilient IPT provision that Principle Networks is deploying will allow us to offer our clients high performance enterprise grade connectivity with low latency and consistent performance to support digital transformation journeys. “We work with best-of-breed suppliers to provide resilient links across the UK and beyond and are pleased to be continuing our relationship with Principle Networks as a premium connectivity partner.” As specialists in designing and implementing complex data centre networks and scalable, agile cloud-based networks for mid-large enterprises, Principle Networks works across all sectors, including legal, retail, logistics, social housing, automotive, financial services, IT and local government. Russell Crowley, co-founder at Principle Networks, adds, “We are proud to have been chosen to partner with Datum to deliver the IPT network for MCR2. The development of this new data centre is great news for Manchester and will offer businesses the opportunity to host their infrastructure in one of the most well connected, resilient and cutting-edge facilities in the region. We’re excited to be a part of it and are looking forward to the new data centre coming online in the very near future.” For more from Datum Datacentres, click here.

JLL continues data centre recruitment drive with key hire

JLL has announced that Craig Adamoli has joined the company as Senior Director of Data Centre Transactions in its EMEA data centre practice, working with existing clients in a growth role. Craig brings with him 27 years of combined experience within the data centre sector and wider commercial real estate industry, where he is tasked with helping drive growth across JLL’s major hyperscale and growth accounts within EMEA. Based in London, Craig reports to Tom Glover, Head of Data Centre Transactions, EMEA. Tom comments, “We are excited to welcome Craig to the business. He’s held numerous leadership, client management and project roles throughout an impressive career. Craig joins a target driven, revenue orientated, transaction-based team that will benefit from his vast experience. His deep domain background within corporate real estate, paired with the benefit of having worked for a major data centre operator, brings important skill sets to the team and will help with our ambitious growth plans in the region.” Craig recently spent over a decade in various transactional positions at commercial real estate firm, Newmark. Prior to those roles, he worked within Occupier Services at CRBE, before joining Global Switch to run the data centre operator’s London campus. Adamoli’s background also includes time spent heading up mobile communications giant Nokia’s Transaction EMEA Management Team. Craig joins during a time of record demand in the data centre industry. JLL Research recently published a report revealing the sector will grow at a phenomenal pace in 2025. Across the hyperscale and colocation segments, an estimated 10 GW is projected to break ground globally in 2025, while 7 GW will likely reach completion. Based on this current pace of under construction and planned developments, the global data centre market will likely expand at a baseline 15% CAGR through 2027 – with the potential to reach 20%. “I wanted to join a team that was mature, but also had a great growth trajectory and I’m delighted to have found that here at JLL,” Craig states. “With all of the ongoing technological advancements in the sector, this is a burgeoning young industry with huge potential that requires best in class operators. I’m excited to be working within a team that has exceptional subject matter expertise to deliver exceptional value for our clients.” For more from JLL, click here.

Ooredoo and DE-CIX bring Internet Exchange to Qatar

Ooredoo, a Qatar-based telecommunications operator, in partnership with DE-CIX, a global operator of carrier-neutral Internet Exchanges (IX), has officially announced Doha IX powered by DE-CIX, Qatar’s first standalone commercial Internet Exchange (IX). Leveraging DE-CIX’s global expertise, developed across nearly 60 locations worldwide, this initiative strengthens Qatar’s position as a regional digital hub by enhancing connectivity, reducing costs, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Doha IX will offer a secure, carrier-neutral platform that facilitates low-latency traffic exchange, improves network performance, and supports remote peering services. Businesses in Qatar and across the region will benefit from cost-effective, direct access to global and regional content providers, streamlining connectivity through a single port while significantly reducing traditional IP Transit costs. Doha IX is built on DE-CIX’s cutting-edge interconnection infrastructure and Ooredoo’s state-of-the-art data centres. Supported by both partners’ established relationships with global content providers and networks, these critical assets ensure seamless and efficient traffic exchange, reducing latency, optimising network performance, and creating a robust Internet Exchange ecosystem in Qatar. “We are proud to introduce Doha IX, which represents a significant step in upgrading Qatar’s digital infrastructure,” says Thani Ali Al Malki, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo Qatar. “Doha IX delivers faster, more reliable connectivity while reducing operational costs for businesses and driving innovation across various industries, aligning with the goals of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and advancing our digital transformation initiatives.” Ivo Ivanov (pictured above, right), CEO of DE-CIX, adds, “With Doha IX powered by DE-CIX, we are bringing DE-CIX’s global expertise to Qatar, enabling businesses and networks to benefit from superior interconnection services. Doha IX is the ideal place for international networks interested in reaching this important Middle Eastern market. The new IX, established through the partnership between DE-CIX and Ooredoo, will unleash the potential of the country’s digital economy by providing better performance and user experience of content and applications, and affordable and high-quality Internet access for enterprises and individuals. This partnership marks an important milestone in strengthening regional connectivity and creating an advanced digital ecosystem that supports economic growth and innovation in the GCC for the amazing digital decades ahead of us.” DE-CIX is an established name in the Middle East, with a proven track record of developing healthy IXs and vibrant interconnection ecosystems. Doha IX, which will be built and operated under the DE-CIX as a Service (DaaS) model, is the sixth IX operated by DE-CIX in the region. Through this collaboration, Ooredoo and DE-CIX are setting the foundation for advanced interconnection in the region. Together, they support Qatar’s digital transformation goals and are seeking to position the country as a leader in the global digital economy, aligning with Qatar’s National Vision 2030. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Lightpath announces LightCube edge data centres

Lightpath, an all-fibre, infrastructure-based connectivity provider seeking to revolutionise how organisations connect to their digital destinations, has closed the transaction to acquire substantially all of the assets of United Fiber and Data (UFD). The company has also introduced LightCube edge data centres, which will first be deployed along its NYC-Ashburn strategic network route. The company states that the asset additions elevate its position in the digital infrastructure industry, and expand its reach in the New York Metro and Ashburn markets. Lightpath adds the geographically diverse, 323-mile NYC-Ashburn route, as the company continues to amass new and unique route options between these markets. Lightpath also adds 79-miles of metro fibre in New Jersey and New York City, and approximately 250 new commercial service locations in Manhattan. Lightpath now offers over 1,500 enterprise and data centre service locations in Manhattan alone, a five-fold increase over the last three years. Lightpath’s New York City to Ashburn network route is geographically diverse from typical network routes along the I-95 corridor and offers the industry’s lowest latency between the largest population centre in the country and the largest data centre and cloud ecosystem in the world. Service options on this route include dark fibre and wavelengths up to 800 Gbps. Tim Haverkate, EVP of Major Infrastructure Solutions at Lightpath, comments, “This route represents a unique opportunity for customers to connect these critical markets with diversity, latency management, and soon, the addition of edge compute facilities. Lightpath has seen surging demand on this route, with nearly 25% of the cable under contract, a 3.5 times increase since the transaction was initially announced. Further, we are engaged in active conversations with 20 customers resulting in an opportunity pipeline that would oversubscribe the route as it exists today.” Lightpath customers can connect to almost any data centre in the Ashburn region and, in total, can connect to over 140 data centres across its footprint. Lightpath can route customers from any on-net data centres in New York Metro or Boston Metro to Ashburn utilising this route, while also delivering routing options along the I-95 corridor to support services on the NYC-Ashburn route.Lightpath has also introduced LightCube edge data centres – modular, secure, and customisable facilities that fully support the capacity for 864-count fibre cables and the corresponding space and power for edge compute workloads. Lightpath will be upgrading four existing ILAs on the NYC-Ashburn route with new LightCubes in response to customer demand. “This route represents a strategic addition to the Lightpath network, extending our reach from the north-east into the ever-expanding data centre ecosystem in Ashburn,” states Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath. “We will continue to aggressively pursue organic and inorganic opportunities to meet both the metro and the long-haul requirements on behalf of our hyperscaler, carrier, and enterprise customers.” For more from Lightpath, click here.

Designers create garment made from data centre materials

Ahead of London Fashion Week, designer, Maximilian Raynor, and data centre company, Equinix, have taken wearable tech to a different dimension with the creation of a one-off garment that brings the internet to life by using recycled materials in new and innovative ways. Merging high fashion with sustainability, the dress (which was developed with the codename 'Project Max') is made entirely from discarded data centre materials - including 3,600m of internet cables, metal nuts and bolts - to showcase the ‘personification of the internet herself'. The garment reportedly took in the region of 640 hours to create. Bruce Owen, President EMEA at Equinix, explains, “We have worked with designer, Maximilian Raynor, to bring the internet to life through a visually striking piece of design in the form of a dress made from materials at our London data centres. By bridging the gap between physical and virtual, we wanted to create something tangible that works as a unique talking point to highlight the many thousands of connections that are created by Equinix to support economies and societies every day. “The design pays homage to the physicality of the vital infrastructure that makes up the internet. Rather than some sort of weird magic or unexplainable force that just happens to work, it’s a physical, intricate network of cables, traversing land and sea and creating physical connections housed in Equinix data centres worldwide. “People have never been more aware of the impact of digital on their lives – especially with the explosion in advancements of technologies like AI, cloud, and quantum that all rely on these physical hubs to expand and collaborate. It’s no coincidence that a key theme at Davos last week centred around the Intelligent age and what that means for economies and societies worldwide. “Ultimately, this is a light-hearted way of exploring something important. We want the campaign to showcase the internet’s real-world impact on people’s daily lives and businesses, as well as its vital role in the UK economy. Whether that is the development of new drugs to cure disease, or the way we pay for our food - both online and in shops, or even the way we keep people connected to each other over vast distances. By highlighting the value that data centres bring to society, we aim to answer questions surrounding data centre operations and generate global awareness for our fast-growing and ever-important industry.” For more from Equinix, click here.

Verne expands Helsinki data centre campus

Verne, a provider of sustainably powered HPC data centres across the Nordics, has acquired the land at its existing Helsinki data centre campus, securing room for future expansion. The company says that the purchase marks another milestone in its ambitious growth strategy for the Nordics, following the recent announcement of its new facility to be built in Mäntsälä, Finland. Verne plans to develop the site further, leveraging its 70MW capacity to meet the increasing demand for sustainable, high-performance compute infrastructure. The land was acquired from Onvest, a family-owned company with a long history in the region. The existing site in Helsinki currently serves a number of high-profile multinational customers. Verne tells us that its strategic location provides excellent connectivity to power and fibre networks, proximity to Helsinki Airport, and easy access to the city centre – making it ideal for organisations across industries looking for reliable, accessible, and well-connected facilities. Designed with high-density compute in mind, the planned expansion will include two new buildings fully equipped to meet the technical requirements of AI, HPC, and other intensive workloads.Verne remains committed to sustainability, with the Helsinki campus running on 100% renewable energy. Waste heat generated by the data centre is repurposed through a direct connection to the local district heating network. All new facilities will be built to support liquid cooling, enabling efficient management of the high heat levels generated by AI and other intensive compute workloads. This design makes the existing heat reuse infrastructure even more vital, facilitating the effective capture and repurposing of waste heat.Additionally, Verne uses renewable diesel for its backup power generators in Finland, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the generators by an average of 90%. “The acquisition of this site reinforces Verne’s long-term commitment to Finland and provides an even stronger foundation for our continued growth in the region,” says Dominic Ward, CEO of Verne. “We’ve seen a huge uplift in demand, and having successfully operated from this location for a number of years, we are well-positioned to scale our capabilities and continue delivering industry-leading, sustainable data centre solutions to support the next generation of AI and high-performance computing.” For more from Verne, click here.

AVK to open Netherlands service hub

AVK, a supplier of power solutions for data centres and organisations in the UK and Europe, is driving further European expansion by opening a new service hub in the Netherlands. This strategic move will reduce reliance on AVK’s existing service infrastructure in the UK by creating a strong local presence in Europe. Based in Lelystad – around 30 minutes from Amsterdam – AVK says that the new service hub is the latest example of the company's commitment to providing the highest levels of in-country support for the increasing number of European data centres as they go live, and throughout their operation. By offering AVK’s European customers a dedicated, localised service infrastructure, the hub is designed to deliver enhanced service responsiveness, improved logistics, and stronger client partnerships in Europe’s burgeoning data centre market. When the new service hub opens as scheduled in April this year, companies operating in the energy and data infrastructure sector across Europe can immediately benefit from the greater proximity of AVK service engineers to major data centres, ensuring rapid support and improving operational efficiencies. The Netherlands hub will consist of warehousing, critical spares and administrative offices for which staff recruitment is currently underway, including for a European Service Manager. Plans are in place for AVK to expand its European presence even further, with the next new hub scheduled to be set up later this year in Frankfurt, followed by other key locations. There is already a service office operating in Dublin, Ireland. AVK states that the creation of these new service hubs not only illustrates its forward-thinking approach to integrating local infrastructure, but that it also underlines the company’s growth trajectory and its continuing investment in operational excellence. The hubs also support AVK’s long-term plan to roll out its Academy programme to provide further training. AVK academies are dedicated training hubs that play a vital role in developing the next generation of data centre engineers. Lynsey Partlow (pictured above), Service Director at AVK, says, “For several years, AVK has been expanding its service operations across European territories as a reflection of the significant number of new data centres that have been created. From this summer, we expect to see a lot more data centres commissioned and going live throughout the region, and it is essential that AVK has an active in-country service footprint that enables us to support our partners proactively as they grow. “Setting up these strategic service hubs will help us enormously with our supply chains, our relationships with clients and our field delivery. Instead of locally-based staff relying on our service infrastructure in the UK, having a European infrastructure will make a massive difference to how we support the increasing numbers of customers setting up new data centres across the continent.” Looking even further ahead, Lynsey reveals several additional developments in the pipeline for AVK. For example, AVK technicians are to carry out the service and maintenance of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems that the company installs in data centres to minimise harmful emissions from diesel-powered backup generators. For more from AVK, click here.