Data Center Investment News — 05/01/2024
Equinix Expands Liquid Cooling Globally Across 100 Data Centres
Equinix, a global data centre and interconnection provider, has announced its expansion of liquid cooling solutions across 100 data centres worldwide.
“Liquid cooling is revolutionising how data centres cool powerful, high-density hardware that supports emerging technologies, and Equinix is at the heart of that innovation,” said Tiffany Osias, Vice President of Global Colocation, Equinix. “We have been helping businesses with significant liquid-cooled deployments across a range of deployment sizes and densities for years. Equinix has the experience and expertise to help organisations innovate data centre capacity to support the complex, modern IT deployments that applications like AI require.
This initiative aims to enhance energy efficiency, optimize cooling systems, and promote sustainable practices within Equinix facilities.
Data Centre Operators Under New Regulations in Saudi Arabia as of January 1, 2024
In Saudi Arabia, data centre operators will operate under new regulations effective from January 1, 2024.
This move is part of a larger plan to drive digital change across various sectors within the Kingdom.
The regulations aim to create an environment that “encourages anticipated growth within the data centre sector.”
They also aim to foster the Kingdom’s IT infrastructure, promote digital transformation, and create an attractive environment for technology investments, including attracting multinational companies.
The updated regulations focus on data centre security, compliance with international standards, and aligning operations with evolving technological advancements.
DTCP’s Maincubes Appoints Zahl Limbuwala as Executive Chairman
Maincubes, backed by DTCP (Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners), has appointed Zahl Limbuwala as the Executive Chairman.
Oliver Menzel, CEO of maincubes, said: “We are pleased to welcome Zahl. His experience in digital infrastructure and technology, combined with his profound industry knowledge and entrepreneurial background, make him an ideal fit as Executive Chairman. We are confident that his engagement will strengthen our market position, helping us establish ourselves as a leading platform for data centre services in Europe.”
This strategic move signifies a leadership enhancement to drive growth and innovation within Maincubes.
Arcus Infrastructure Partners has expanded its footprint in the data centre industry with the launch of Portus Data Centres and the acquisition of IPHH.
Sascha Pollok, CEO of IPHH, said: “The IPHH team has been very impressed with Portus’ collaborative highly professional approach and its long-term strategy and vision for the future. We are very excited to join Portus and look forward to working with its senior management and Arcus to grow our business in the coming years and continue to provide our existing and new customers with a market-leading service.”
This move reflects Arcus’ commitment to expanding its data infrastructure portfolio.
Penta Infra Acquires KPN Data Centre in Amsterdam
Penta Infra, an infrastructure investment company, has acquired the KPN Data Centre in Amsterdam.
Alex Bakker, Penta Infra CEO, said: “We are thrilled to announce the latest addition to the Penta Infra family with the acquisition of our new state-of-the-art data centre facility in the metropolitan region of Amsterdam.”
This acquisition marks a strategic move to expand Penta Infra’s presence in the data centre market.
Newtelco Opens Karlstein Data Centre in Germany
Newtelco, a telecommunications company, has opened a new data centre in Karlstein, Germany.
Plans for the data centre – dubbed MainRZ – were first shared in 2021, at the time with an expected launch date of H2 2022. Those plans, shared by the managing director at the time Jens Leuchters, also suggested that the site would have its own dedicated photovoltaic system and that there was a “concept for using the heat we produce in collaboration with the local community.”
This facility aims to cater to the increasing demand for data services, offering reliable and advanced infrastructure to businesses and customers.
N+ One to Build Data Centre in Casablanca, Morocco
N+One, a data centre operator, is set to construct a new data centre in Casablanca, Morocco.
The company last week announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministère de la Transition Numérique et de la Réforme de l’Administration (MTNRA) and the Ministry of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies for the construction of a new data centre in Casablanca.
This initiative is expected to address the rising data needs in the region, enhancing digital infrastructure and connectivity.
UK’s Manchester University Awards $210K Data Centre Contract to Lunar Digital Solutions
Manchester University in the UK has awarded a significant data centre contract worth $210K to Lunar Digital Solutions.
Lunar Digital Solutions will be providing the university with data centre colocation services, though it is unclear from which Manchester data centre this will be.
The company signed a 15-year lease in June 2023 with Capitaland Ascendas REIT to occupy its Reynolds House data centre in Manchester which was previously occupied by Equinix.
This contract is aimed at modernizing the university’s data infrastructure and enhancing its technological capabilities.
Spain’s Avatel Sells Data Centre Unit to ICG and Teras Capital
Avatel, a Spanish telecommunications company, has sold its data centre unit to investment firms ICG and Teras Capital.
Terms of the deal have not been shared, but the publication said the telecoms provider divested the unit to focus on its core carrier business.
Fiber provider and MVNO operator (through Masmovil) Avatel has acquired dozens of small local operators in recent years – taking over 25 in 2023 alone for a total of €85 million ($93.1m) and reportedly acquiring more than 150 companies since 2020.
This sale aligns with Avatel’s strategic focus and enables the new owners to further develop the data centre business.
Intel Appoints Former HPE Exec Justin Hotard to Lead Data Centre Unit
Intel has appointed former HPE executive Justin Hotard to lead its data centre unit.
“Justin is a proven leader with a customer-first mindset and has an impressive track record in driving growth and innovation in the data centre and AI,” Gelsinger said. “Justin is committed to our vision to create world-changing technologies and passionate about the critical role Intel will play in empowering our customers for decades to come.”
Hotard’s extensive experience is expected to drive Intel’s data centre business forward, focusing on innovation and growth.
Involta Announces New CEO Brett Lindsey
Involta, a provider of IT intelligence and data centre services, has announced Brett Lindsey as its new CEO.
Involta plans to expand this to a 20MW campus, which can become an overflow for the Chicago hub, where power provisioning can be an issue, said Lindsey: “Green Bay is a really unique situation. When I was at Everstream, we built fiber all around the state of Wisconsin, so you have a nice connectivity between Green Bay and Chicago. We also plan to connect the Green Bay facility to our Duluth, Minnesota location.”
Lindsey’s leadership aims to steer Involta through continued growth and expansion in the evolving data centre landscape.
EdgeCore Raises $1.9 Billion in Green Financing
EdgeCore, a data centre infrastructure provider, has successfully raised $1.9 billion in green financing.
“The development of scalable data centre campuses designed to support the density requirements of hyperscalers is EdgeCore’s sole focus, and one that we address with sustainable construction, operations, and business practices in mind,” said Julie Brewer, SVP of Finance, EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure. “To this end, our Phoenix data centre campus in Mesa, Arizona, is being developed using debt financing from this Green Loan.”
This substantial investment highlights growing interest in sustainable data centre solutions and supports EdgeCore’s expansion plans.
Honda and Mitsubishi Collaborate on Hydrogen-Powered Data Centre for Sustainable Decarbonization
Honda and Mitsubishi have joined forces to collaborate on a hydrogen-powered data centre project aimed at achieving sustainable decarbonization.
The collaborative endeavour by Honda and Mitsubishi also seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of utilizing by-product hydrogen and repurposing fuel cells for data centre operations, thereby contributing to the decarbonization of such facilities. The project additionally investigates the feasibility of powering production data centres in the region through these sustainable methods.
This innovative initiative explores alternative energy sources to power data centre operations, prioritizing environmental sustainability.