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DataVita submits plans for third Chapelhall data centre

DataVita, a UK data centre and cloud services provider, has submitted a planning application to North Lanarkshire Council for DV4, a proposed data centre at Chapelhall, as the company expands its existing campus. The site forms part of the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone, designated by the UK Government in January 2026 as the first AI Growth Zone in Scotland. DataVita has operated at Chapelhall for more than 10 years. It owns and operates DV1, which the company describes as Scotland’s largest purpose-built Tier III-certified data centre, and is constructing DV3 next door. The company also operates a second facility in Glasgow. The application for planning permission in principle is supported by technical assessments covering energy and decarbonisation, noise, air quality, transport, flood risk and drainage, ecology and landscape, heritage, ground conditions, economic impact, and construction environmental management. DataVita also held four public consultation events, compared with the two required, and published exhibition material and a public FAQ online. The company says feedback from the consultation influenced the development design. Changes include reducing the maximum building height from 30m to 26m; moving an operational plant to the south of the building, away from homes; and planting around 1 kilometre of new native hedgerow, at least twice the length being removed. A feasibility study is also under way for a community garden and greenhouse heated using surplus data centre heat. DataVita says the proposal was raised by residents during consultation and would be funded through a community investment fund. Danny Quinn, Managing Director of DataVita, comments, "We have seen a lot of data centre speculation in Scotland recently, and the vast majority of it will never be built. "DataVita has been operating in Scotland for more than 10 years, and we already underpin a lot of the critical services used day in, day out, across Scotland. We built DV1 at Chapelhall, we are building DV3, and we run them ourselves with a Scottish team. DV4 is the next stage of that campus. "Not all data centres are the same, and we are keen to change the public perception. Scotland has an opportunity not only to become a data centre location, but an exporter of intelligence via low-carbon data centres. We don't think of exporting barley when we talk about the success of our whisky industry, and data centres should be no different. "The application is now with the council and open for comment, and I would encourage people to look at the detail." DV4 targets renewable power and low water use DataVita says DV4 has been designed around four criteria recommended by the Scottish Government for green data centres. The facility is planned to operate using 100% renewable electricity backed by certificated Scottish generation, with a target power usage effectiveness (PUE) of below 1.25. Its liquid cooling system will use a sealed, closed loop, with no evaporative cooling. DataVita has set a water usage target of 0.05 litres per kilowatt hour or lower. Heat recovery will also be incorporated from the outset, with DataVita in discussions with the Monklands Replacement Hospital and neighbouring BioCity campus about potential uses for surplus heat. The company has submitted an air quality assessment covering what it describes as deliberately extreme operating scenarios. These include all standby generators across DV1, DV3, and DV4 operating simultaneously, as well as a continuous 72-hour emergency. The DV4 generators will use renewable HVO fuel and advanced emissions controls. The installation will operate under a SEPA permit, which applies the best available techniques standard. The development represents £849.6 million of construction investment over two years, supporting 2,650 construction job years and 120 permanent skilled roles on site. DataVita also plans to provide apprenticeships, with at least 40% of capital contracts expected to be delivered by local suppliers. DV4 is expected to generate more than £30 million in business rates for North Lanarkshire Council over 25 years. DataVita also plans to invest £75 million over 15 years through a DV4 Community Investment Fund, which will be governed by an independent board and used for locally generated and led projects. The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone is part of the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and is expected to bring £8.2 billion of private investment, more than 3,400 jobs, and a community fund of up to £543 million to the region. Scotland’s AI Strategy 2026-2031, published by the Scottish Government in March 2026, includes a commitment to promote Scotland as a centre for green data centres and to maximise the economic potential of the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone. Data centres of this type are recognised as a national development under National Planning Framework 4. The application will be available through North Lanarkshire Council’s planning portal once validated, with members of the public able to make representations as part of the statutory planning process. For more from DataVita, click here.

New ProLabs transceivers extend network reach to 2,400km

ProLabs, a provider of optical connectivity and networking equipment, has introduced two QSFP-DD transceivers designed to extend the reach of coherent optical networks to distances of up to 2,400km. The QSFP-DD 800G ZR LH and QSFP-DD 400G ZR ULH transceivers are designed for carriers, service providers, and large-scale backbone networks requiring ultra-long-haul transmission. The products are intended to extend 400G and 800G network capacity across national and cross-continental infrastructure, while making greater use of existing long-haul fibre networks. “We are delighted to have expanded our range of ultra-long-haul transceivers ahead of Connected Britain,” says Stefan Löhmann, EMEA Sales Director at ProLabs. “Our solutions will enable national operators to deliver new and efficient long-haul services, making it easier to deliver high-bandwidth connectivity between cities, across countries, and over subsea links.” With network operators facing increasing traffic demands, the transceivers are designed to extend the usable reach of existing fibre infrastructure without requiring additional network infrastructure. Transceivers support up to 30 repeater hops While standard 400G products support around six repeater hops, the new transceivers are designed to support coherent optical transmission across up to 30 repeater hops, equating to approximately 2,400km. Stefan continues, "By reducing the need for additional infrastructure while still maintaining long-distance performance, we're helping operators lower both capital and operational expenditure. "Combined with our commitment to interoperability and availability, these new transceivers provide operators with an open, standards-based alternative to proprietary optical networking solutions." The transceivers are compatible with standard QSFP-DD ports, allowing them to be deployed on existing platforms without significant changes to hardware. Both products use modulation techniques and integrated digital signal processing (DSP) to compensate for laser detuning at each repeater and chromatic dispersion over extended distances. The 400G and 800G transceivers will be available for the first time at Connected Britain 2026 on ProLabs Stand D75. For more from ProLabs, click here.

KROHNE introduces data centre liquid cooling flowmeters

KROHNE, a German manufacturer of process instrumentation and flow measurement technology, is targeting data centre cooling efficiency with its flow measurement technology, including chilled water and liquid-to-chip applications, as operators manage increasing power and rack densities. The company’s electromagnetic and ultrasonic flowmeters measure liquid flow in cooling water loops, secondary circuits, and heat recovery systems. This data can then be used to monitor coolant distribution, manage pump and valve operation, and assess thermal performance. In liquid-to-chip cooling systems, flow measurement can help operators monitor glycol-water and other coolant circuits supplying individual racks and processors. Accurate flow data can also support automated control systems that adjust pump speeds and valve positions according to cooling requirements. Flow measurement supports heat recovery According to KROHNE, one data centre project using hybrid liquid cooling and waste heat recovery deployed approximately 40 KROHNE OPTIFLUX 4100 electromagnetic flowmeters to measure glycol-water flow through cooling circuits ranging from DN100 to DN250. The measurements are used to monitor heat dissipation and system efficiency, as well as support a thermal management system that captures waste heat for use in district heating networks. KROHNE also supplies flowmeters and temperature sensors for heating circuits, heat exchangers, and district heating connections. Measuring heat and cold transfer can help operators assess system performance and monitor the results of efficiency measures. The company cites other applications where flow and temperature measurement has been used to track hot and chilled water between geothermal probes, heat pumps, and concrete core conditioning systems. In one building-scale installation, the monitoring contributed to reduced natural gas consumption. KROHNE says its flowmeters are designed for long-term operation in demanding industrial environments, with applications including chemical processing and wastewater treatment. The technology can be integrated with existing monitoring and control systems used for data centre energy management.

iON+, ACCURE to streamline BESS data access

iON+, the data and asset performance management platform developed by Conrad Energy, has partnered with battery analytics provider ACCURE Battery Intelligence to simplify data access from battery energy storage system (BESS) assets. Under the partnership, iON+ will provide data services to ACCURE customers through a data bridge that extracts and records high-frequency data from BESS systems. The service will transfer data from BESS assets to the ACCURE platform in near real time. It can also return corrected values, including State of Energy (SoE), which can be used to inform dispatch and trading decisions. Corrected battery data supports trading The partnership is intended to reduce the time required to integrate BESS data, allowing iON+ to transfer high-frequency information from customers’ portfolios into ACCURE’s analytics platform. ACCURE says correcting SoE can make additional energy available for trading and reduce penalties associated with overstating available energy. The approach has been used at Gore Street Capital’s 75MW Dogfish BESS in Texas. ACCURE says analysis of operating data indicated an annual benefit of more than $110,000 (£80,655), equivalent to around a 5% increase against average BESS trading revenues in ERCOT. Corrected values went live at the site in July 2026 without additional hardware. ACCURE’s platform monitors battery performance down to cell level, with the company’s engineers working with asset owners and operators to identify issues such as imbalance. Rhys Kirk, Chief Technology Officer at iON+, says, “We are delighted to have formalised this mutually beneficial partnership with ACCURE. We have been working with ACCURE for some time and know from first-hand experience the breadth and quality of their analytics.” Yannick Gindroz, Head of Partnerships at ACCURE, says, “The iON+ team’s experience in extracting and transferring high-granularity data made them an obvious partner for us. In our industry, visibility is everything, and so we are always looking for ways to show our customers more of what their assets are doing.”

LINX, JPIX launch London-to-Tokyo network route

Internet exchange operators the London Internet Exchange (LINX) and Japan Internet Xing (JPIX) have launched direct network routes between London and Tokyo, giving European networks access to JPIX’s interconnection platform and local peering opportunities in Japan. The partnership began in 2018, initially allowing networks in Tokyo to access content in London through LINX. Under the new service, LINX members can now connect directly to JPIX Tokyo through the LINX LON1 peering platform. JPIX says it will manage the connection and ordering process through a carrier partner, removing the need for customers to arrange separate local connectivity. Mike Hellers, Product Development Manager at LINX, comments, “It’s great to see this partnership flourish. We have a handful of networks now peering in London from Tokyo with quite high bandwidths. We are pleased to now be able to work with JPIX to provide the reverse route from London to Tokyo.” European networks gain Tokyo peering access The new route is intended to support demand for Japanese digital content from European networks, including content associated with anime, manga, and gaming. An introductory service for LINX members provides 1Gbps connectivity to JPIX for £400 per month, including transport bandwidth between LINX LON1 and JPIX Tokyo. Other bandwidth options up to 5Gbps are also available. Tetsuya Hamada, Senior Executive Expert at JPIX, says, “This new route is a wider project we are working on to increase the awareness of local peering in Japan for networks in Europe.” Tokyo is a major interconnection location, with more than 20 international subsea cable systems connecting Japan with North America, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The service expansion forms part of LINX IX Connect, a programme covering its collaborative work and network routes with other internet exchange points (IXPs), including JPIX, Namex in Rome, and NYIIX in New York. For more from LINX, click here.

Colt DCS appoints new CEO

Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a hyperscale and colocation data centre operator, has appointed Quy Nguyen as CEO, effective immediately. He has served as Acting CEO since April 2026, following the retirement of Niclas Sanfridsson. Quy joined Colt DCS in 2016 and has held senior leadership positions across sales and marketing, customer experience, design, and delivery. Most recently, he served as Chief Sales Officer, where he led the company’s commercial strategy and customer relationships. Before joining Colt DCS, Quy held senior roles spanning finance, strategy, and general management. As CEO, Quy will lead Colt DCS as it expands its global data centre platform. The company has nearly 800MW of capacity under development across global markets, with demand being driven by cloud adoption and the growth of AI workloads across Europe and Asia. Comments on the new appointment Tim Cohen, Chairman of Colt DCS, says, "Quy has demonstrated exceptional leadership during a period of significant growth and transformation for Colt DCS. "His deep understanding of our customers, our people, and our business, combined with his strategic vision and proven track record of execution, made him the outstanding choice to lead the company." Quy himself comments, "I am honoured to be appointed CEO of Colt DCS at such an exciting time for our company and industry. We have built a strong track record for delivering world-class digital infrastructure, fostering trusted customer relationships and executing ambitious growth plans across key markets. "I look forward to working alongside our talented teams around the world to build on our strong foundations, expand our global platform, and deliver long-term value for our customers, partners, and stakeholders." For more from Colt DCS, click here.

Echelon, Trinovium to develop liquid cooling technology

Echelon Data Centres, a developer and operator of hyperscale data centres, has entered into a collaboration with clinical diagnostics company Trinovium, a subsidiary of Trinity Biotech, to develop liquid cooling technologies for AI and high-density computing environments. The collaboration will focus on cooling requirements created by increasing computing and power densities in data centres, including the management and monitoring of coolant used in liquid cooling systems. As operating temperatures and demands increase, factors including corrosion, particulate contamination, fluid degradation, and microbial growth can affect the reliability of cooling systems. The collaboration combines Echelon's experience in designing, developing, and operating hyperscale data centre infrastructure with Trinovium's expertise in high-purity fluid manufacturing and analytical technologies. Under the agreement, the companies will develop and refine liquid cooling technologies based on the requirements of Echelon's hyperscale and AI infrastructure portfolio, which currently includes more than 700MW of capacity in development and more than 1.4GW of secured capacity across Ireland, the UK, Italy, and other markets. Trinovium was established to apply Trinity Biotech's experience in healthcare-grade fluid manufacturing to AI infrastructure. Its initial direct-to-chip cooling formulation is based on high-purity aqueous chemistry, corrosion inhibition, and coolant system protection, alongside consistency and traceability. Monitoring liquid cooling systems Alongside its cooling fluid, Trinovium is developing a fluid health and system intelligence platform using analytical technologies from Trinity Biotech, including connected electrochemical sensing and mass spectrometry. The platform is intended to monitor corrosion and scaling, particulate contamination, and microbial growth and biofilm formation, providing information about the condition of liquid cooling systems. Development is expected to begin shortly, with initial work covering direct-to-chip cooling fluids, thermal management systems, and modular liquid cooling technologies for AI and high-performance computing. Niall Molloy, CEO of Echelon Data Centres, comments, “AI is changing the infrastructure requirements of data centres. As more computing power is concentrated into smaller spaces, managing the heat it generates becomes an increasingly important engineering challenge. “Liquid cooling will be an important part of meeting that challenge, but it is not simply about moving heat more efficiently; the quality, stability, and monitoring of the fluids within those systems will also be important to their long-term reliability.” John Gillard, CEO of Trinity Biotech, adds, “The rapid growth of AI is creating unprecedented demand for advanced cooling technologies capable of supporting increasingly dense and power-hungry computing environments. “By combining Trinovium’s capabilities in high-performance fluid design, precision manufacturing, and advanced analytics with Echelon’s hyperscale data centre expertise, we believe we can accelerate the development of innovative liquid cooling solutions designed specifically for the next generation of AI infrastructure.” For more from Echelon, click here.

Schneider Electric launches Easy UPS 3S Pro

Global energy technology company Schneider Electric has launched the Easy UPS 3S Pro, a three-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) designed for critical applications in small and medium-sized data centres, as well as for telecommunications, commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, manufacturing, and transport. Available in 10–40kVA capacities, the UPS supports internal and external battery configurations and is now available across IEC markets, including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The system provides efficiency of more than 96% in double-conversion mode and up to 99% in ECO mode. It has a compact form factor and integrated breakers intended to simplify installation and commissioning. Thierry Chamayou, Vice President, Cloud & Service Providers, EMEA at Schneider Electric, says, “Today’s businesses require resilient and efficient power protection solutions that are simple to deploy and manage. “Easy UPS 3S Pro has been designed to make business continuity easy by combining reliable power protection, simplified installation, and integrated monitoring capabilities in a highly cost-effective package for customers and channel partners alike.” UPS designed for simplified maintenance The Easy UPS 3S Pro includes an Easy Loop test function, allowing UPS performance to be verified without a load bank. Front, side, and rear access is provided for maintenance. Other features include an enhanced human-machine interface, a wide operating temperature range, embedded dust filters, and conformal coating. The UPS can be operated in parallel for capacity expansion or N+1 redundancy, whilst shared battery configurations can be used across multiple units. An embedded Network Management Card enables remote monitoring and management through Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure IT software, while BACnet support allows integration with building management systems. The Secure Network Management Card is certified to IEC 62443-4-2, providing cybersecurity controls for connected infrastructure. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

CBRE: AI demand drives record Europe data centre signings

Demand for AI-ready data centre capacity is increasing across Europe, with emerging AI infrastructure providers, often referred to as neoclouds, securing record levels of capacity. According to research from global commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE, signings for AI-focused colocation capacity reached 420MW in the first half of 2026, compared with 89MW during the same period in 2025. Two thirds (66%) of the contracted capacity is expected to be delivered by data centre operators to neoclouds in the Nordic region, where lower-cost renewable power is more readily available. The increase in AI-related capacity signings indicates growing confidence amongst data centre operators and investors in the neocloud sector. CBRE says operators are finding ways to meet funding requirements when contracting with neoclouds, representing a shift from the more cautious investment environment seen two years ago. Operators have also adopted measures such as rental deposits and letters of credit on some transactions to reduce financial risk. Neoclouds secure capacity for AI workloads Andrew Jay, Head of Data Centre Solutions, Europe at CBRE, explains, “Neoclouds have emerged as viable occupiers who are taking capacity at scale in markets typically where lower-cost power is the norm. "It is a sign that many data centre providers are increasingly comfortable with the ambitions of neocloud providers and the financial structures that can be used to satisfy the funders.” Kevin Restivo, Director, European Data Centre Research at CBRE, adds, “The underlying demand for compute is immense. Several neocloud companies have emerged with investment-grade customers, enabling them to secure capacity and support the growing requirements of AI workloads. “As a result, we are seeing unprecedented growth in this segment with deployments in areas in parts of Europe where data centre development isn’t the norm.” For more from CBRE, click here.

Lightpath expands managed bandwidth into Atlanta

Lightpath, a New York-based fibre network and connectivity provider, has entered the Greater Atlanta market, offering managed bandwidth services over its fibre network to data centre and enterprise customers. The company operates 12,100 route miles (19,473 kilometres) of fibre networks across 10 US metropolitan markets and is now providing Wavelength and IP Transit services in Atlanta at speeds from 10Gbps to 800Gbps per wavelength. Aggregate system capacity can scale into multi-terabit configurations, supporting applications including AI workloads, cloud interconnection, and large-scale data transfers. Atlanta has become a growing data centre market, with enterprises and hyperscalers requiring high-capacity optical transport for connectivity between data centres, cloud platforms, and other infrastructure. Lightpath operates a long-haul network hub in Atlanta connected to New York, Philadelphia, Ashburn, Chicago, Dallas, and Miami. Its Atlanta network provides connectivity to 30 data centre campuses using underground fibre infrastructure. Atlanta connects to Lightpath's national network Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath, says, “Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing data centre markets in the country, and demand for high-capacity managed bandwidth continues to accelerate. “Entering this market connects this growing ecosystem to our national backbone, giving customers a direct path to the intensive capacity that AI and cloud workloads require.” Tim Haverkate, Chief Commercial Officer at Lightpath, adds, “Our customers need optical transport that scales with their workloads. By pairing our long-haul backbone with high-capacity managed Wavelength and IP Transit services, we give Atlanta-area customers a single, trusted path to the bandwidth their businesses demand.” For more from Lightpath, click here.