News

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.

LFB launches Lennox-branded fan wall

Adding to its ApX Series range of cooling infrastructure for hyperscale and edge data centres, LFB Group, a European HVAC and refrigeration company, has launched its new Fan Wall Unit (FWU) - a modular cooling product built with the aim of meeting the demands of modern computing environments. LFB Group, following its transition from Lennox EMEA in April 2025, says its Lennox-branded FWU has a scalable cooling range from 100kW to 1000kW and comes with a compact footprint. It features electronically commutated (EC) fans, advanced coil designs, and customisable configurations, with a modular architecture allowing for capacity expansion. The company believes that, despite the rise in AI and both chip and rack densities, air cooling is still of importance. Matt Evans, CEO of the Data Centre Solutions business at LFB Group, says, "Cooling has always been one of the most pressing challenges facing data centre operators. But, with the rise in demand for data centres - as well as the rise in co-location data centres - we’re entering a new era where flexibility is being required more than ever before. "Our Fan Wall Unit is designed to deliver exactly that. It combines the performance figures, scalability, and adaptability that today’s environments require, without adding unnecessary complexity. The FWU showcases experience-led system design that integrates seamlessly into a variety of data centre footprints. "Our focus has always been on listening to operators, understanding their real-world constraints, and helping them solve the challenges that slow their growth. We see this as a collaborative journey - one that doesn’t end with installation, but continues as needs change, technology advances, and workloads evolve. The introduction of this tailored Fan Wall Unit represents a meaningful step forward, and we’re excited about the role it will play in shaping the next generation of digital infrastructure as part of a broader pipeline of innovations that are on the horizon.”

Datacloud Global Congress achieves record-breaking attendance

techoraco, a provider of global digital infrastructure events, has announced that it has achieved record attendance at the 20th anniversary of Datacloud Global Congress. The flagship event, which brings together an assembly of senior leaders including C-suite executives, investors, legal advisors, owners, operators, and vendors, saw more than 4500 attendees register to network, discuss new business strategies, and secure deals in one of the world’s fastest growing technology markets. Over two days, more than 170 thought leaders — 60% comprising C-level executives or directors from global technology companies — discussed critical industry topics. These included the pervasive influence of AI, the landscape of investment, the future of energy, ESG initiatives, talent development, and overarching sustainability. Notably, this year’s show saw marked increases in sector representation, including a 15% rise in professional services, a 62% surge in telco and carrier, and a 450% growth in attendees from the finance sector. Conversations also heavily focused on how data centres are catalysing innovation on a global scale. The event featured speakers from the world’s largest technology companies including Coreweave, Digital Realty, Google, Groq, Huawei, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, NTT, Oracle, Schneider Electric, and Vertiv, among others. Additionally, techoraco ensured that more than 25% of its speaker roster comprised senior female leaders. The Cannes event also demonstrated a global representation, with attendees and speakers from over 65 countries. “Datacloud is known as the industry’s cornerstone event, where new strategies are defined, and deals get done. This year’s record attendance further reinforces its position as a critical and strategic touchpoint for digital infrastructure businesses,” says Annabel Helm, Managing Director, Datacloud Global Congress. “As we celebrate its 20-year anniversary, I’m proud of our team, who remain committed to delivering a meaningful and professional experience for our valued sponsors and attendees.” “Datacloud showcases the beating heart of the sector, and the event has established a leading reputation for innovation, business growth, and elite networking,” comments Michael Winterson, Managing Director of the European Data Centre Association. “This year’s event marks a landmark moment for the company, and it’s been incredible to witness the transformative conversations taking place across the industry.” Going forwards, Datacloud Global Congress will move to a three-day format in Cannes - taking place from the 2-4 June 2026. For more from techoraco, click here.

ZTE urges industry to rethink energy efficiency

ZTE Corporation, a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company, showcased its AI-embedded solution for data centre infrastructure at Data Centre World Frankfurt 2025. As artificial intelligence becomes deeply integrated into every layer of enterprise and cloud computing, the foundation of digital infrastructure is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Speaking at the event, Hans Neff, Senior Director of the CTO Group at ZTE, delivered a keynote address that challenged traditional efficiency metrics and static data centre models. He emphasised that in an AI-driven future, conventional benchmarks such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) are "no longer sufficient" to measure the performance and adaptability of modern data centres. In his address, Hans highlighted the paradox facing today's data centres: at the very moment when sustainability has become a strategic priority, AI is driving up compute intensity and energy demand at an unprecedented scale. He believes traditional benchmarks, originally designed for static, legacy systems, are no longer capable of capturing the complexity and dynamism of AI-driven workloads. "AI workloads are fundamentally different," says Hans. "They're denser, hotter, and more variable. To stay ahead, we can’t keep optimising for a world that no longer exists." ZTE says its approach, drawn from global deployments and internal R&D, envisions energy efficiency not as a fixed target, but as an evolving system. The company states that it is engineering data centres that sense, predict, and respond to changing computational demands in real time. In his keynote address, Hans also called on the industry to adopt more holistic metrics that better reflect the realities of modern data environments. He proposed a new composite framework that evaluates energy use not only by its efficiency, but also by its effectiveness in supporting intelligent operations, resiliency, and sustainability. "PUE is no longer enough," argues Hans. "We need smarter metrics that account for how power is used — not just how much." For more from ZTE, click here.

Shell launches Direct Liquid Cooling fluid

Shell, a British-Dutch multinational oil and gas company, is turning down the heat and turning up the performance in data centres with the launch of Shell DLC Fluid S3 — a Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) fluid designed to meet the demands of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI). This propylene glycol-based fluid aims to complement Shell’s existing cooling fluid portfolio and involvement in the data centre liquid cooling market. As data centers grow more powerful, traditional air-cooling struggles to keep up with the increasing heat generated by high-performance computing and AI. DLC fluids tackle this heat by targeting high heat load components to ensure densely packed server racks can continue to operate at optimal temperatures. By directly cooling high-performance components like Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), DLC fluids can improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by up to 27% (in comparison with the PUE of air-cooling) and reduce the need for energy-consuming air conditioning. Shell DLC Fluid S3 also meets the Open Compute Project (OCP) PG25 coolant specifications, including standards for material compatibility. Some features of the Shell DLC Fluid S3 include: · Long-term corrosion protection for all DLC cooling systems, including aluminium, brass, cast iron, steel, solder, and copper. · Heat transfer performance: Particularly, according to Shell, for high-surface-area copper-based heat sinks. · Compatible with a range of materials including metals and metal alloys, elastomers, plastics, and other wetted materials as per OCP guidelines. Its 2-ethylhexyl acrylate-, borate- and silicate-free formulation intends to provide improved metal and rubber compatibilities over competitive formulations. · Extended fluid life: Expected life of 6+ years, potentially four better than conventional inorganic acid technology (IAT) based fluids. · Leak detection: Dyed fluorescent green to help identify in-service leakage. · Freeze protection: Used in servers and electronic components to provide freeze protection down to sub-zero temperatures (−10°C/14°F) and help prevent corrosion. “With Shell DLC Fluid S3, Shell now offers both direct-to-chip and full immersion cooling solutions, and we’re not just keeping data centres cool in the age of AI — we’re powering the future of digital infrastructure,” says Aysun Akik, VP New Business Development and Global Key Accounts, Shell Lubricants. “We are continuing our commitment to innovation that delivers on performance, sustainability, and reliability to support our customers’ goals.” Aysun continues, “Our growing range of advanced liquid cooling solutions is designed to meet the diverse needs of modern data centres both today and tomorrow – and are backed by the strength of Shell’s global footprint, supply chain, and five technology development hubs around the globe.” For more from Shell, click here.

Aligned debuts its Advanced Cooling Lab

Aligned Data Centers, a technology infrastructure company, has announced the launch of its new Advanced Cooling Lab. The lab is dedicated to testing and developing Aligned’s air and liquid cooling solutions for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and emerging AI accelerators. Aligned's Phoenix-based Advanced Cooling Lab has been designed to promote hybrid cooling environments and advance data centre infrastructure. The company's Delta Cube air-cooled system and DeltaFlow liquid-cooled system aim to ensure customers have the capacity and performance needed for AI and HPC workloads. “Aligned has been innovating data centre cooling for more than a decade,” says Michael Welch, Chief Technology Officer at Aligned Data Centers. “The Advanced Cooling Lab is a testament to our commitment to delivering cutting-edge data centre solutions and our passion for innovation. By investing in research and development, we can continue to provide our customers with the most flexible and advanced infrastructure available, capable of handling the dynamic demands of AI workloads.” For more from Aligned, click here.

Castrol launches new fluid management service

Castrol, a British multinational lubricants company owned by BP, known for its presence in the automotive industry, has launched a new fluid management service for data centre liquid cooling, addressing a critical gap as the industry transitions away from traditional air-cooling systems. Announced at the Datacloud Global Congress 2025 in Cannes, France, Castrol’s new service model aims to cover all four phases of the data centre operation lifecycle: system start-up, ongoing maintenance, break-fix support, and fluid disposal. The approach is designed to help remove operational barriers in the adoption of liquid cooling in data centres. "Data centre operators recognise the benefits of liquid cooling but need assurance around long-term fluid management," states Peter Huang, Global Vice President of Data Centre Thermal Management at Castrol. "Castrol has delivered fluid services for the automotive industry for decades – we're now bringing this proven expertise to data centres with a service model that supports optimal performance throughout the entire lifecycle.” The four-phase service includes:1. System start-up support with fluid installation, filtration, system flushing, and certificates of analysis.2. Ongoing maintenance, such as laboratory testing, dynamic monitoring, predictive maintenance, and smart dosing capabilities.3. ‘Break-fix’ service, including telephone assistance, virtual engineering support, on-site response, and spare fluid availability.4. Support with fluid collection and disposal. Castrol’s service launch comes at a time when the data centre industry faces mounting pressure to improve cooling efficiency. Recent industry research indicates that traditional air-cooling systems struggle to handle increased computing demands from AI and edge computing applications, with 74% of data centre experts believing immersion cooling is now essential to meet current power requirements. "Our aim with this new service model is to remove the operational and technical uncertainties that have slowed liquid cooling adoption," says Andrea Zunino, Global Offer Development Manager at Castrol. "Within liquid cooling systems, the fluid represents a single point of failure – degraded conditions can reduce cooling capacity and lead to equipment failure. We're going beyond just fluid supply to deliver structured support at every stage, giving data centre operators the confidence they need to embrace liquid cooling.” The new service model will be deployed globally through Castrol's partner network. All services will be delivered with third-party suppliers. The availability and rollout of certain services may vary by location and may be introduced at different times depending on regional factors. For more from Castrol, 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.

EUDCA’s research affirms critical importance of data centres

The European Data Centre Association (EUDCA), a trade body representing data centre operators, suppliers, and stakeholders across Europe, has announced the publication of its inaugural State of European Data Centres report, in collaboration with European National Trade Associations (NTAs). The new report marks an important step in documenting and recording the state of the industry, allowing greater ongoing analysis and insights, tracking progress and development, and reflecting a vibrant industry that while experiencing challenges, has potential to be at the heart of a digital Europe. Michael Winterson, Secretary General of the EUDCA, says, “Europe’s digital economies could not have been established without the backbone of data centres that provide digital sovereignty while contributing significantly to GDP. The State of European Data Centres 2025 provides a benchmark of this vital industry and a reference point for informed, data-driven decision-making as we continue building Europe’s digital future.” According to the report, the data centre industry contributes significantly to Europe’s socio-economic landscape. Colocation data centres alone were responsible for €30 billion in GDP in 2023, expected to reach €83.8 billion by 2030, with the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The market is expanding rapidly, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital service growth, with demand outstripping supply and attracting billions of euros in investment. Major centres of activity include Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin (FLAPD), with intense activity in emerging hubs in the Nordics and Southern Europe. Additionally, new metropolitan hubs are emerging in and around cities such as Barcelona, Rome, and Athens. “A key implication from the report,” continues Michael, “is the need for data centres, as large energy consumers, to become flexible energy partners to grid providers.” Sustainability data shows that more than a quarter (28%) of operators have invested in on-site renewable energy generation capability, and 41% plan to do so. In support of these efforts, 28% are planning on installing battery energy storage systems (BESS) within the next two years. Currently, nearly a quarter (22%) of data centre operators provide grid stabilisation or energy trading capacity to energy grids, greatly facilitating further utilisation of renewable energy sources (RES). This will almost triple (59%) in the next two years. All of this means that data centre operators, through increased resilience and energy independence, can engage with grid operators to relieve stress on grids, while providing supports such as grid stabilisation services. The report finds the industry faces challenges related to power availability, sustainability, and regulatory compliance as new reporting obligations recently came into effect. More than a third (36%) said that regulatory compliance will be a challenge over the next three years. However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation in energy efficiency, flexibility, and heat reuse. The sector's continued growth will necessitate ongoing investments in sustainability to minimise environmental impact. Another bright spot is improvement in water usage. Of those operators who reported water usage effectiveness (WUE), the average was 0.31 litre per kWh for 2023, well below the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact (CNDCP) target of 0.4 l/kWh for water-stressed areas. The industry is also advancing technologies such as liquid cooling and heat reuse to improve efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint. Currently, half of operators have residual heat coupling capability, with a further 38% expected in two years. Already, three quarters of operators have energy or environmental management systems in place. The data centre industry also faces significant challenges, including power supply constraints, permitting delays, and a growing skills gap in technical fields. More than 75% of survey respondents consider access to power as the biggest challenge for the sector in the next three years, despite a willingness to invest in alternative solutions to access power. Energy costs are also a concern, as rising wholesale prices impact operators. The additional responsibility of regulatory compliance was also significant, with more than a third (36%) citing it as a major challenge in the near future. There are significant concerns that duplication and redundancy in reporting frameworks will deter compliance, reducing effectiveness and frustrating regulatory goals. For more from the EUDCA, click here.