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Data centres contributing to 3% of global carbon footprint

Recent research shows that 90% of all digital data in existence today has been produced in the last two years, largely attributed to the explosive increase in AI and IOT use. The total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally reached 149 zettabytes in 2024; and over the next five years, up to 2028, global annual data creation is projected to increase to more than 394 zettabytes. While the use of data has been a game-changer for organisations and individuals all over the world, the rapid take-up of AI and the internet has exacerbated the level of information available, and with it, a greater demand for data storage. Research from McKinsey and Company shows that if global demand for disk-based data centre capacity continues to grow at the pace it is, we could see an annual rise of between 19-22% each year to 2030. By 2030, it is thought that 13% of the world’s electricity consumption will be attributed to data centres, largely due to growing AI demand. Having more information and data at our fingertips comes with many advantages, but traditional methods of storage for this data come with environmental concerns around significant energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions. Morgan Stanley research shows that a boom in data centres is expected to produce around 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions globally through the end of the decade, and accelerate investments in decarbonisation efforts. Data centres worldwide consume approximately 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, a figure projected to more than double to 1,000 TWh by 2026, the equivalent of Japan's entire annual energy consumption. If we continue to follow this trajectory, the data storage centre industry will emit 2.5bn tons of CO2 by 2030. The carbon footprint of data centres is equally concerning. They are estimated to produce around 3% of global carbon footprint when it comes to gas emissions, the same amount as the aviation industry. There are similar concerns around the environmental challenges of HDD / Tape storage used for long-term cold data storage and archiving (accounting for 60% of all data stored today). These need to be kept at low temperatures using extensive amounts of energy to preserve the data. The physical tapes also require regular monitoring for degradation and must be copied every 7-10 years, costing vast energy and CO2 expense - not to mention the higher possibility of damage to the data. E-waste is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing waste streams, with an estimated 53.6 million metric tons generated globally projected to reach 74 million metric tons by 2030. Data storage devices, including HDDs, optical disks, and tape drives are difficult to recycle due to their complex composition and use of synthetic materials, further contributing to the growing e-waste crisis. Longer-lasting storage solutions, including technologies such as 5D optical storage, reduce the need for frequent replacements, dramatically lowering e-waste and energy consumption. To store 2ZB of data would require over 60 Million LTO9 tape cartridges weighing 225g, which generate 13,500 metric tons of waste when they reach end of life. Commenting on the impact of this, Peter Kazansky, Chief Science Officer at SPhotonix, says, “In an increasingly digital world, the environmental impact of data storage is quickly becoming a pressing concern with respective Governments and Regulatory bodies stepping in to enforce sustainability standards. The European Energy Efficiency Directive, for example, includes provisions specifically targeting this, and countries like Germany will require new data centres to achieve a power usage efficiency of 1.2 or less from 2026.” Revolutionising the future of data storage Scientists at SPhotonix have been developing a solution to this in the form of a 5D Optical Storage which will shape the future of data storage. The 5D Memory Crystal utilises FemtoEtch, nano etching technology and can store up to 360TB data on a five-inch glass platter. Delivering virtually unlimited data storage longevity with low environmental impact means SPhotonix technology meets future storage demands without compromising the planet. Peter continues, “Ground-breaking advancements and discoveries in technology have transformed the way we access and interpret data. The 5D memory crystal offers limitless potential, and SPhotonix is eager to explore various industries for innovative applications of its technology. With ever-increasing compliance requirements and the need for some industries to keep data for over 30 years, organisations are having to look at the most eco-friendly way of doing this. Reliable data management plays a vital role in addressing energy challenges, enabling efficient resource allocation and long-term planning. “Enhanced regulations, along with technological innovations and community engagement, are crucial steps toward reducing the environmental impact of global data storage. Through concerted efforts encompassing technological advancements, regulatory measures, and sustainable practices, the data storage industry can move toward a more environmentally friendly future.” SPhotonix was founded upon over three decades of Prof. Kazansky’s research at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre that recently stored the human genome on a 5D memory crystal that can reportedly last billions of years. The revolutionary technology developed for that purpose is now being applied to create these ground-breaking optical elements.

Embracing the brave new world of AI data centres

By Louis McGarry, Sales and Marketing Director, Centiel AI is creating a huge demand for power within data centres. At Centiel, we are increasingly seeing ‘normal’ enquires for sites for 20,40, 50 MW systems. But are we ready to embrace the brave new world that AI offers? Essentially, it comes down to how well a UPS is built, and how quickly and how scalable it can become. For Centiel, quality components which are more reliable and last longer are a given. The true modular nature of Centiel's systems offers the highest levels of efficiency, but they are also flexible. Like Lego blocks, adding modules means we are not limited by size and can build a system that suits today’s load and is ready for increased demands. And AI is creating massive demand and fast. The challenge is around speed of deployment and how to continue to maintain and deliver the highest levels of quality. This is second nature to Centiel. The company's Swiss factory is renowned for quality and ships around 100,000 UPS modules per month, so Centiel has already adapted its manufacturing process to deliver. If a data centre needs a super-sized UPS system in three to four months, Centiel has the ability to meet that demand. However, Centiel takes this to the next level by also working with its data centre customers to help them integrate and manage energy better. StratusPower, Centiel's fourth generation multi-award winning true modular UPS, is key. It provides market-leading (99.99999999%) availability equating to milliseconds of downtime per year and yet it is also highly efficient and sustainable. Its modules are 95% recyclable based on mass, and Centiel sources components responsibly, yet it has the ability to scale to any size. This means data centres can have a UPS which is entirely decentralised/distributed up to 1.8MW yet with a layer of sustainability and it is also built flexibly for the increased and dynamically changing loads of AI. Crucially, in the face of power-hungry AI, StratusPower offers the potential to integrate with renewable energy sources. Energy can be taken from the mains at the same time as renewables to reduce cost. It offers the potential to discharge batteries throughout the day and recharge with renewables. A 30-year design life where capacitors only need to be replaced every 15 years instead of four to five years improves sustainability further and lowers total cost of ownership. However, it’s not just Centiel’s advanced, quality UPS technology that will help data centres face the AI future. The company's experts pride themselves in working together with customers to plan the best way forwards. Centiel provides information and calculations so they can make informed decisions on equipment selection and how best to live with the system for the next 30 years in a more efficient and sustainable way. This may be through education about how to utilise different modes to maximise efficiency, or through hibernating modules to reduce energy use, or, how to introduce peak shaving to use energy storage better. Data centres are evolving, and the AI revolution is happening now. Be brave and understand it: find out how Centiel’s UPS systems are tailored to create a solution that is not only fit for today but fit for the AI future. To read more about Centiel's StratusPower UPS, click here.

New digital twin to simulate AI factory power requirements

Schneider Electric, an expert in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, and ETAP, a specialist in power system design and operation, are unveiling a cutting-edge digital twin that can accurately design and simulate the power needs of AI factories. Leveraging the NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for AI factory digital twins, Schneider Electric and ETAP are enabling the development of digital twins that bring together multiple inputs for mechanical, thermal, networking, and electrical systems to simulate how an AI factory operates. The collaboration is set to transform AI factory design and operations by providing enhanced insight and control over the electrical systems and power requirements, presenting an opportunity for significant efficiency, reliability and sustainability gains. While basic visualisation of electrical systems was previously possible, the integration of ETAP and NVIDIA Omniverse technologies enables the creation of a comprehensive AI factory digital twin where multiple dynamics interact seamlessly. ETAP’s sophisticated modelling technology will create a virtual replica of a data centre’s electrical infrastructure and combine it with real-time power system data, advanced analytics, and insights. Intelligent algorithms analyse and predict power consumption and distribution patterns, allowing unprecedented insights into: - Advanced electrical system design and simulation- Dynamic 'What if' scenario analysis- Real-time electrical infrastructure performance tracking- Advanced energy efficiency optimisation- Predictive maintenance and system reliability assessment- Infrastructure needs based on power usage that can help reduce total cost of ownership From large-scale training clusters to edge inference servers, AI workloads are driving a significant increase in data centre power consumption. Unlike traditional computing tasks, AI operations - particularly model training and complex inference processes - require substantial computational power, leading to higher rack power densities. As AI adoption accelerates, start-ups, enterprises, colocation providers, and internet giants must rethink data centre design and management to address the growing need for power efficiency, Schneider Electric states. ETAP and NVIDIA’s collaboration introduces an innovative 'Grid to Chip' approach that addresses the critical challenges of power management, performance optimisation, and energy efficiency in the era of AI. Currently, data centre operators can estimate average power consumption at the rack level, but ETAP’s new digital twin aims to increase precision on modelling dynamic load behaviour at the chip level to improve power system design and optimise energy efficiency. This collaborative effort highlights the commitment of both ETAP and NVIDIA to drive innovation in the data centre sector, empowering businesses to optimise their operations and effectively manage the challenges associated with AI workloads. The collaboration aims to enhance data centre efficiency while also improving grid reliability and performance. “As AI workloads grow in complexity and scale, precise power management is critical to ensuring efficiency, reliability, and sustainability,” says Dion Harris, Senior Director of HPC and AI Factory Solutions at NVIDIA. “Through our collaboration with ETAP and Schneider Electric, we’re offering data centre operators unprecedented visibility and control over power dynamics, empowering them to optimise their infrastructure and accelerate AI adoption while enhancing operational resilience.” “This collaboration represents more than just a technological solution,” adds Tanuj Khandelwal, CEO of ETAP. “We’re fundamentally reimagining how data centres can be designed, managed, and optimised in the AI era. By bridging electrical engineering with advanced virtualisation and AI technologies, we’re creating a new paradigm for infrastructure management.” Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President for Data Centers, Networks & Services at Schneider Electric, remarks, “Collaboration, speed, and innovation are the driving forces behind the digital infrastructure transformation that’s required to accommodate AI workloads. Together, ETAP, Schneider Electric, and NVIDIA are not just advancing data centre technology - we’re empowering businesses to optimise operations and seamlessly navigate the power requirements of AI.” For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Digital Realty enters Indonesia via new joint venture

Digital Realty, a global provider of cloud and carrier-neutral data centre, colocation and interconnection services, and Bersama Digital Infrastructure Asia (BDIA), a Southeast Asian digital infrastructure platform, have announced the formation of Digital Realty Bersama, a 50-50 joint venture to develop and operate data centres across Indonesia. The joint venture extends PlatformDIGITAL into the dynamic Indonesian market, directly supporting the acceleration and growth of its digital economy, which is driven by the country’s young and digitally savvy population. Bersama Digital Data Centres (BDDC), BDIA’s Jakarta-based carrier-neutral data centre platform, has been contributed to the joint venture and will now operate as Digital Realty Bersama. BDIA’s major shareholders include Provident Capital Partners, Saratoga Investama Sedaya, a Macquarie Asset Management-led consortium, and Distro Hub. BDDC has been led by an experienced management team, including CEO Angelo Syailendra and Chairman Setyanto Hantoro, both of whom will continue as leaders of Digital Realty Bersama. Krishna Worotikan, former Country Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft Indonesia, has joined as Chief Financial Officer. Digital Realty Bersama owns and operates a connected campus that includes a recently launched, state-of-the-art data centre (CGK11) strategically located in Central Jakarta and another data centre (CGK10) located in West Jakarta. Initially launched with 5 megawatts (MW) of IT load capacity, CGK11 is expected to support up to 32MW through its next phase of expansion. CGK11 offers customers a robust connectivity hub in the central business district, with direct access to a wide array of networks and services throughout Indonesia. It will also have a direct connection to Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII), Indonesia's largest internet exchange provider, making it one of the most connected, network-dense data centre sites in downtown Jakarta. Connectivity will be further supplemented by ServiceFabric, Digital Realty’s service orchestration platform, enabling customers to centrally manage complex workflows and orchestrate their hybrid IT infrastructure and AI workloads. According to Structure Research, the Jakarta colocation market alone will generate $499m (£384m) in 2025, with a five-year CAGR of 11% and an expected uptake of approximately 54.6MW. “Digital Realty is committed to powering the growth of Indonesia's digital economy by providing businesses with the critical foundation they need to succeed in the digital age and to leverage emerging technology like AI,” says Serene Nah, Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific, Digital Realty. “This joint venture combines Digital Realty's global data centre expertise and scale with BDDC’s local market knowledge and robust connectivity, creating a unique value proposition for our customers. We are excited to collaborate with our partners to deliver unparalleled value to this dynamic market and to introduce PlatformDIGITAL to Indonesia, empowering our customers to achieve their digital ambitions.” Angelo Syailendra, CEO of Digital Realty Bersama, adds, “We are honoured to collaborate with Digital Realty, a global leader in data centre solutions, to deliver the essential infrastructure that will catalyse Indonesia's digital economy. Digital Realty Bersama will provide swift, cutting-edge, and well-connected data centre capacity in central Jakarta, designed to support the market's next wave of growth, driven by high-performance computing and AI-powered advancements.” Setyanto Hantoro, Chairman of Digital Realty Bersama, comments, “The launch of Digital Realty Bersama marks an exciting next chapter in Indonesia's digital evolution. We look forward to a close partnership between Digital Realty and BDIA to build the vital infrastructure underpinning Indonesia’s burgeoning digital economy.” Verena Lim, Co-Head of Asia-Pacific Macquarie Asset Management Infrastructure and Asia CEO of Macquarie Group, remarks, “We consider the Southeast Asia digital infrastructure sector to be very attractive given the exponential growth of data consumption and significant capital requirements for infrastructure to keep pace with demand. We are very pleased to partner with Digital Realty on Digital Realty Bersama and believe their market-leading global sector expertise will complement Bersama’s strong on-the-ground presence and local relationships. We look forward to supporting Digital Realty Bersama in its next phase of growth in developing the digital economy of Indonesia”. Digital Realty contributed approximately $100m (£77m) upon closing for a 50% interest in the data centres and adjacent land, which will support further expansion. In addition to its equity interest, Digital Realty will receive property management and development fees from the joint venture. For more from Digital Realty, click here.

ODATA announces new data centre in Sao Paulo

ODATA, an Aligned Data Centers company and a provider of data centre services for Latin America, has announced DC SP04, its new data centre located in the city of Osasco, Sao Paulo. With an investment of over $450m (£347m) upon completion, the 48MW facility will feature a flexible and adaptive design, enabling ODATA to seamlessly meet the dynamic requirements of its customers today and into the future. DC SP04 will be the first ODATA facility in Brazil to feature the Delta Cube (Delta³) cooling system, which the company says reinforces its commitment to efficiency, innovation, and flexibility in its deployments. This proprietary, high-efficiency cooling technology, developed by ODATA’s parent company, Aligned Data Centers, is exclusively available to ODATA across its facilities in South America. The patented design offers unmatched energy efficiency and flexibility to support shifting density requirements, the company claims. Ricardo Alário, CEO of ODATA, comments, “We take great pride in operating with 100% renewable energy in Brazil, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to sustainable and responsible energy practices. The integration of Delta³ in DC SP04 delivers rapid scalability, cutting-edge technological innovation, and exceptional energy efficiency, enabling us to quickly address the growing power density and capacity needs of our customers.” Designed to support power densities of up to 50kW per rack, Delta³ allows ODATA's data centres to maximise space utilisation and significantly reduce the load required to cool them, thereby decreasing energy consumption. Unlike conventional methods that simply push cold air into data halls, Delta³ captures and removes heat directly at the source, creating a hyper-scalable and highly efficient environment that dynamically adapts to the IT load demands of customers. Kelvin Tamura, Design Director at ODATA, adds, “Delta³ enables us to cool hyperscale IT environments efficiently, saving both energy and space. The system also seamlessly integrates with liquid cooling solutions, enabling ODATA to provide customers with high-density computing environments that can scale easily to accommodate AI, cloud and high-performance computing deployments.” ODATA believes that DC SP04 is set to significantly impact both the local economy and the technological landscape of Sao Paulo. The facility’s establishment is expected to address a critical gap in data centre expansion capacity within Osasco, providing robust IT infrastructure and a reliable power supply. This strengthens Greater Sao Paulo's position as a leading technology hub, driving job creation, and attracting significant regional investments. DC SP04 is on schedule to become operational in April 2025. For more from ODATA, click here.

Pulsant optimises Reading SE3 data centre connectivity

Digital infrastructure specialist, Pulsant, has announced upgrades to its Reading SE3 data centre network with refreshed hardware, increased bandwidth, enhanced connectivity and an improved platform to support high capacity requirements, including AI workloads. The investment extends Pulsant’s and Zayo Europe’s optical backbone into Reading SE3, with one route heading west and two diverse low latency routes east into London. This means regional businesses can now access 400GB capacity to locations across the UK without having to back haul via London. Zayo Europe's high-speed optical backbone is 400GB enabled and future-ready for 800GB, ensuring businesses stay ahead of increasing AI and data demands. Pulsant’s platformEDGE offering incorporates one of the most geographically diverse arrays of data centres in the UK, with a private, high-speed, resilient network that connects 12 regional colocation facilities directly. This network then connects to the Internet, to over 500 partners in Pulsant’s connectivity ecosystem, including global carriers, peering exchanges and access to Zayo Europe’s global network. “Making digital infrastructure available to regional UK businesses improves competitiveness and helps cut costs,” says Mike Hoy, CTO, Pulsant. “This upgrade brings the Reading SE3 facility onto a national interconnection fabric, delivering low-latency, high-speed access to the full range of Pulsant’s platformEDGE infrastructure platform, ecosystem services and partners. We have more than a hundred clients in Reading SE3, and they will now be able to interconnect directly with all other Pulsant data centres, as well as LINX, AMSIX and Megaport services, without having to route via London carrier hotels.” Mike continues, “Pulsant is investing in our digital infrastructure to help businesses capitalise on the opportunities of AI and other data-intensive capabilities. By providing low latency resilient connectivity and sovereign data processing, Pulsant is ensuring future AI applications’ security and performance. Availability of high-performance connectivity to regional businesses remains key to the UK’s future competitiveness.” Matt Williams, Head of Data Centre & Managed Service Partnerships at Zayo Europe, adds, “Businesses across the UK and Europe are accelerating their adoption of AI, automation, and cloud-driven workloads. Predictions are indicating that approximately two-thirds of network traffic will involve AI by 2030, placing an increasing demand on low-latency, high-speed, and scalable connectivity. By expanding our 400GB network reach, we are ensuring enterprises and data centres have the robust, future-proofed infrastructure they need to thrive in an AI-powered economy.” For more from Pulsant, click here.

Verne strikes deal with Nebius to expand Europe’s AI capacity

Verne, a provider of sustainably powered HPC data centres across the Nordics, has announced that Nebius, a global AI infrastructure provider, will be colocating a cluster of NVIDIA H200 GPUs at Verne’s data centre campus in Iceland. This collaboration marks the largest single implementation in Verne's history in Iceland, with Nebius deploying a 10MW cluster. This installation is part of Nebius’ ambitious build-out of AI infrastructure across the US and Europe, supporting its mission to provide scalable, energy-efficient technologies for intensive AI workloads. As one of Europe’s leading providers of GPU capacity, Nebius selected Verne for its expertise, renewable energy-driven operations, and ability to meet precise technical and geographical requirements. Verne’s Icelandic facility, uniquely located on a former NATO base and powered entirely by Iceland’s 100% renewable hydroelectric and geothermal energy resources, aligns perfectly with Nebius’ approach to adopting sustainability principles in its infrastructure while delivering top-tier performance. “Alongside Verne’s scalable infrastructure and Iceland’s renewable energy resources, our shared understanding of NVIDIA architecture provides the perfect foundation for Nebius to scale its full-stack AI infrastructure and cloud services,” says Dominic Ward, CEO, Verne. “This partnership with Nebius underscores our ability to provide sustainable data centre services quickly and at scale across the Nordics, supporting the AI industry's rapid growth while minimising its environmental impact.” “Partnering with Verne has been a natural choice,” adds Andrey Korolenko, Co-Founder and Chief Product and Infrastructure Officer at Nebius. “Their technical expertise and ease and flexibility in meeting our deployment needs allow us to bring our AI-centric solutions to market quickly and sustainably. This collaboration is an important addition to our capacity as we continue building out our full-stack AI-native infrastructure to meet the demands of AI builders and businesses globally.” For more from Verne, click here.

Global survey explores networking needs for AI era

The rapid growth of AI workloads is driving a major transformation in data centre network infrastructure, with global data centre experts anticipating a significant increase in interconnect bandwidth needs over the next five years, according to a study commissioned by Ciena. The survey, conducted in partnership with Censuswide, queried more than 1,300 data centre decision-makers across 13 countries. More than half (53%) of respondents believe AI workloads will place the biggest demand on data centre interconnect (DCI) infrastructure over the next two to three years, surpassing cloud computing (51%) and big data analytics (44%). To meet surging AI demands, 43% of new data centre facilities are expected to be dedicated to AI workloads. With AI model training and inference requiring unprecedented data movement, data centre experts predict a massive leap in bandwidth needs. In addition, when asked about the needed performance of fibre optic capacity for DCI, 87% of participants believe they will need 800 Gb/s or higher per wavelength. "AI workloads are reshaping the entire data centre landscape, from infrastructure builds to bandwidth demand," says Jürgen Hatheier, Chief Technology Officer, International, Ciena. "Historically, network traffic has grown at a rate of 20-30% per year. AI is set to accelerate this growth significantly, meaning operators are rethinking their architectures and planning for how they can meet this demand sustainably.” Creating more sustainable AI-driven networks Survey respondents confirm there is a growing opportunity for pluggable optics to support bandwidth demands and address power and space challenges. According to the survey, 98% of data centre experts believe pluggable optics are important for reducing power consumption and the physical footprint of their network infrastructure. Distributed computing The survey also found that, as requirements for AI compute continue to increase, the training of Large Language Models (LLMs) will become more distributed across different AI data centres. According to the survey, 81% of respondents believe LLM training will take place over some level of distributed data centre facilities, which will require DCI solutions to be connected to each other. When asked about the key factors shaping where AI inference will be deployed, the respondents ranked the following priorities: - AI resource utilisation over time is the top priority (63%)- Reducing latency by placing inference compute closer to users at the edge (56%)- Data sovereignty requirements (54%)- Offering strategic locations for key customers (54%) Rather than deploying dark fibre, the majority (67%) of respondents expect to use Managed Optical Fibre Networks (MOFN), which utilise carrier-operated high-capacity networks for long-haul data centre connectivity. "The AI revolution is not just about compute - it’s about connectivity," adds Jürgen. "Without the right network foundation, AI’s full potential can’t be realised. Operators must ensure their DCI infrastructure is ready for a future where AI-driven traffic dominates." For more from Ciena, click here.

Data centre keeps its cool with technology from Spirotech

Spirotech, a water quality specialist, has fulfilled an order for 32 bespoke hi-flow SpiroTrap dirt separators for a data centre installation in Hertfordshire. Keeping such facilities dirt-free is critical. Spirotech worked on the project with trusted contract service partner, Engineering Support Solutions (UK), based on the Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire. ESS (UK) consulted with its prestigious data centre client and, after assessing their needs, designed the pipe connections and the bespoke sizing of the units to reduce the number of infrastructure changes to site. Spirotech supplied with this information developed the stainless-steel production units. Other specification changes included a top demountable lid for easy maintenance access and test points on inlet and outlet arms. The ‘off-the-shelf’ models are made from carbon steel and tin and are equipped with a bottom demountable lid. Lewis Hill, Managing Director of ESS (UK), comments, “After a series of design meetings, both on-site and with Spirotech, the adapted units were successfully manufactured within 22 weeks. We are extremely pleased with the outcome, as the final product is a highly effective, bespoke piece of equipment that perfectly meets the client’s needs. “The data centre has three open cooling tower systems used for cooling the data halls within the building and they had strainers in place to remove the sediment being pumped around the system. However, performing maintenance on them required shutting down the cooling system, which, as you can imagine, was far from ideal for the site. “We were pleased to have bespoke dirt separators engineered for site which has reduced down time for the client as well as provided a kit that outperforms their original design. As a business we quality assure everything we use and know that the Spirotech equipment, along with their technical ‘back-up’, won’t let us down.” Steve Simmonds, Special Projects Engineer for Spirotech, adds, “The data centre is delighted with the installation and performance of the units. They are removing much smaller particulates than before and are, as a result, making substantial savings in terms of maintenance time and money.” The bespoke SpiroTrap unit is able to remove very small particles from 5um and separates and removes dirt from the system whilst in operation. In case of severe pollution and/or maintenance, the unit is demountable and ensures no unnecessary downtime. ESS UK primarily specialises in fluid movement, and offers the support, installation, maintenance, repair of pump equipment and wet waste service. For more from Spirotech, click here.

Digital twins could be game-changer for data centre innovation

The data centre industry is on the brink of rapid transformation, driven by emerging technologies that promise to reshape its future. To assess the current ability of the data centre industry to capitalise on the technologies that could transform it, Cadence's latest report, drawing on insights from 400 IT, facility, and business leaders worldwide, reveals how data centres are evolving and what changes are essential for future success. The report found that: · 86% of decision-makers say that failing to innovate data centres would lead to serious or moderate consequences· Three quarters (74%) say data centres are under increased pressure from AI-driven demands· 88% say they’re actively working to enhance energy efficiency, but only three-in-10 (31%) believe that they’re doing enough· 70% say the national power grid is being stretched to its limits, and there won’t be enough energy to go around if we don’t use renewable sources in data centres· A quarter (26%) state that they’d never use liquid cooling The report uncovered how opportunities for data centre innovation are lost through reluctance and a lack of preparedness to incorporate transformative technology and solutions. 80% of decision-makers say their organisation has the capabilities to capitalise on the technologies that could transform their data centre. However, this confidence doesn’t necessarily translate into advanced technologies and approaches actually being used. A sizeable majority (73%) say they use artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). However, fewer are using renewable energy sources (63%), liquid cooling (45%), and digital twins (42%). Innovation obstacles 86% of decision-makers say that failing to innovate data centres would lead to serious or moderate consequences. However, transformation is easier said than done. Data centres face various challenges when implementing innovation, with 42% of decision-makers citing the cost of implementing new technologies as the biggest barrier. Other obstacles include a lack of skilled staff (35%), incompatibility with legacy systems (31%), and uncertainty about future technologies (30%). Additionally, 33% are hesitant to invest due to unclear ROI. All of which underscores the complexities of driving innovation. AI challenges and opportunities The challenges continue as 74% of decision-makers agree that data centres are under increased pressure from AI-driven demands. This is arguably driving the uptake of high-density servers, which 59% report they are now using. Despite the complications created by AI, it is also being harnessed as an innovative tool within data centres themselves for fault detection (60%), natural language assistants (56%), demand forecasting (54%), and automating capacity management (50%). However, adoption isn’t always effortless, leading some to pull back. For example, 10% of decision-makers say they were using AI but aren’t anymore. Despite this, findings suggest future AI plans are on the horizon. Notably, while 73% of all respondents agree that the use of AI within data centres is still in its infancy, three-quarters (75%) believe that in the future, it’ll be possible to use AI to run data centres in place of human operators, indicating an expansive future for the technology. More immediately, 50% of respondents plan to use AI for energy management, highlighting its potential to drive efficiency and sustainability. Digital twins help address innovation challenges 73% of decision-makers believe digital twins are a game changer for driving technological innovation in data centres. This figure rises to 81% among those already using digital twins, underscoring their proven value in practice. These benefits may be why 21% of decision-makers not currently using digital twins plan to introduce them in the next 12 months. For more from Cadence, click here.