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K 2 DATA CENTRES

DIGITAL REPORT 2020

K2 DATA CENTRES: BUILDING THE FUTURE, TODAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE MODULAR, INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE OF K2 DATA CENTRES

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K 2 D ATA C E N T R E S

FRED HO, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AT K2 CRITICAL DELIVERY AND COLIN KELLY, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR AT K2 DATA CENTRES DISCUSS HOW THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY IS BUILDING FOR THE LONG TERM IN THE FAST PACED WORLD OF DATA CENTRE OPERATIONS

he future of business lies in the cloud. As the increasingly rapid progression of Industry 4.0 creates higher demand for

data and data centres, through increased cloud migration, internet of things (IoT) expansion and the explosion of business analytics, the demand for digital infrastructure is in danger of outstripping global supply. With studies predicting that 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020, and the feverish growth showing no signs of slowing, the data centre market has never held so much promise, or been so demanding. The major obstacle faced by data centre operators lies in the fact that, on average, the effective lifecycle of cloud infrastructure lasts less than two years. Every 6-18 months, server rooms need to be torn out to make way for the latest generation of

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Year founded

$350mn Revenue in US dollars

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PA R T N E R S

Vital partnerships for growth: Huawei and Schneider Electric Huawei and Schneider Electric: The prototype power pods are among several projects that K2 is working on, both in-house and in collaboration with trusted global partners like Huawei and Schneider Electric. One of the principal areas of research for the Dublin 2 facility is the deployment of lithium ion batteries. Ho has been working alongside Huawei and Schneider in order to solve the issue of lithium ion fires being difficult to extinguish. “We’re all doing the R&D to find the best way to suppress a fire in a mission critical environment,” he explains. “When we install these batteries, if there’s a fire, we’ll use the cooling system to circulate the gas, then be able to control, localize and extinguish the fire using a high pressure gas suppression system. That way, a fire won’t affect operations, or enter other parts of the data centre.”

Additionally, Huawei is working with K2 on flexible cooling solutions and Schneider is collaborating on smart box arrangement technology that allows for easier part replacement in the power pods. Kelly recognises Huawei and Schneider as long-term partners that can help K2 remain industry leaders in the short term as well. “We identified Huawei and Schneider in particular as two companies that have full stables of technologies. We feel that those companies will always remain ahead of the curve, and be able to introduce new technologies as they come along. They also both have global footprints, and can support our business no matter which territory, or geography we expand to.”

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K 2 D ATA C E N T R E S

increasingly powerful banks that draw more energy and have different cooling needs. Data centre infrastructure is, as a result, in a near constant state of flux. However, a constantly changing playing field cannot eclipse the fact that the cloud is growing by orders of magnitude each year: “The infrastructure needed to support cloud growth obviously needs to be a very long-term investment,” says Colin Kelly, Commercial Director at K2 Data Centres. 10

This inherent contradiction at the heart of the data centre infrastructure might initially seem daunting, and officiating a happy marriage between long term investment and short-term technological acceleration is no mean feat. Adaptability, agility and technical innovation need to be met with a measured approach and an eye fixed on a future 30 to 40 years down the road. K2 Data Centres, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuok (Singapore) Limited, is embarking on a journey to apply the mature, forward thinking business values that are central to its parent company’s business philosophy, to the rapid-fire world of data centres.

“ T HE CHALLENGE IS HOW TO INVEST LONG TERM IN CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN THE INDUSTRY CHANGES IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME” — Colin Kelly,, Commercial Director, K2 Data Centres

11 We sat down with Kelly and Fred

respected multinational conglomer-

Ho, Technical Director at K2 Critical

ates, with subsidiaries at the forefront

Delivery, to discuss how K2 Data

of the maritime, property, logistics,

Centres, against the rising tide of

hospitality and agriculture industries.

demand for cloud, harnessing the

The Chinese character for crane is also

winds of exponential technical innova-

the generational name of Kuok Group

tion, and through the coming storms of

founder Robert Kuok. Embodying the

a growing environmental crisis, aims

values of fidelity, grace and longevity,

to embody the steadfast, long-term

the crane has become the conglom-

approach exemplified by Kuok.

erateâ€™s symbol and the virtues it represents are at the very core of how

FIDELITY, GRACE AND LONGEVITY AT THE HEART OF KUOK GROUP

it does business. From its shipping

Over the last 70 years, the Kuok Group

ments, Kuok is a company that plans to

has grown into one of Asiaâ€™s most

see its projects continue into the next

businesses to its luxury hotel develop-

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“ W E’RE NOT THE TYPE OF COMPANY TO BUILD SOMETHING AND THEN SELL IT A YEAR LATER. EVERYTHING WE BUILD, WE KEEP” — Colin Kelly,, Commercial Director, K2 Data Centres

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION: FROM POWER PODS TO MARITIME DATA CENTRES The successful coexistence of longterm data centre infrastructure and speedy delivery lies in the approach K2 is taking to the operation of its second Dublin hyperscale campus. The new 60MW development will combine with the company’s existing facilities to make K2 a 100MW data centre company – a rarity outside cloud service providers like Google and Microsoft. In order to simultaneously cater to the rapid development cycles of the companies expected to take up residence

decade, or even the next century. “We’re not the type of company to

in Dublin 2, and stay true to Kuok’s philosophy and methodology, K2 is using

build something and then sell it a year

a two-track process. The plan is to

later. Everything we build, we keep,”

operationally separate the data centre

says Kelly. Kuok has deep ties to the

hall from the rest of the facility itself;

sea, with industry-leading holdings in

K2 is constructing a facility built to

the maritime space and an extensive

stand the test of time, with a dynamic

coastal footprint. Operating busi-

data centre hall at its heart. “Over

nesses built for long-term operation

the years, the data centre hall can

on turbulent, tempestuous oceans is

develop flexibly, as it needs, to accom-

at the heart of Kuok’s identity. As K2

modate new technologies,” explains

looks to steady the ship on the chang-

Kelly. While the data centre building

ing seas of digital infrastructure, Kuok’s

and internal configuration is largely

legacy and values serve as a compass

placed within the control of tenant, K2

to keep the company on course.

“takes huge care internally over how w www.c w w.k o mpa 2 dany t a we c e nt bsite. res . com

K 2 D ATA C E N T R E S

C OM PA N Y S TAT S

• Dublin 1 Data Centre: 18MW capacity built on a technical gross f loor area of 127,000 sqft • Dublin 2 Data Centre: 62MW hyperscale campus

we deliver power and cooling to that space,” he continues. Appeasing the two masters of longevity and frenetic development is, Kelly admits, a difficult process. The answer lies in K2’s reimagining of the power of modular construction techniques. Traditionally, assembling parts offsite was a quicker and cheaper way to get a roof on a new McDonald’s, or install bathroom units in a boxy modern development. Not, at first glance, the sort of technique expected from a company dedicated to ensuring the perpetuity of its infrastructure projects. However, Kelly enthuses that making products faster and more cost-effectively “only scratches the surface of the advantages we see in modular construction”. K2 is exploring the benefits of modular construction through its new prototype Power Pods: modular units that combine multiple key elements of data centre power delivery: battery, UPS and transformer systems, as well as other essential power-generating technology “like an engine block,” Kelly says. The advantages of the modular blocks is that offsite assembly and a w w w.k 2 da t a c e nt res . com

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self-contained structure means better

The potential applications of the

quality control, which reduces risk and

modular Power Pods reach beyond

potential time lost to the project. The

K2’s Dublin project. As data demand

nature of their construction is also

rises, the need for hyperscale data

the solution to the rapidly evolving

centres that are closer to population

demands of the data centre’s tenants.

centres also increases. Ho notes that,

“We want to flex and change the den-

in addition to the new hyperscale

sity of the data centre as technology

centre in Ireland, K2 is exploring

evolves over the next 15 years,” Kelly

additional applications for modular

notes. As power demand rises, a 1MW

power generation in a way that further

solution can be replaced with a larger

embraces Kuok’s maritime identity.

capacity power supply, and densities

“We’re planning to employ our modular

can be reconfigured as halls are refit-

construction expertise to build a data

ted as the modular system makes the

centre on a floating platform, on the

whole facility more robust. “That ability

sea,” says Ho. Kuok’s strong coastal

to adjust and fine tune our infrastructure is very important to us, given that we’ve seen IT refreshes of data halls after as little as 18 months,” says Kelly. The Power Pods will also increase uptime and reduce the disruption of a refit. Rather than change out multiple systems on site, a module can simply be replaced, or additional units can be installed. Maintenance that needs to take place offsite need not impact power supply, as replacement units can be delivered and installed in a matter of

“ I N ORDER TO CAPTURE THE MARKET DEMAND, WE NEED TO BUILD A PRODUCT FOR OUR END USER, COME TO MARKET, DELIVER AND DEPLOY IT VERY QUICKLY” — Colin Kelly,, Commercial Director, K2 Data Centres

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K 2 D ATA C E N T R E S

“ W E’VE DESIGNED A SYSTEM THAT MEANS WE CAN REPLACE A POWER POD IN A MATTER OF HOURS” — Colin Kelly,, Commercial Director, K2 Data Centres

footprint – particularly in areas of Asia and Africa, where digital infrastructure is still developing – will allow the company to bring its sea-borne data centres close to population centres. The advantages range from mobility to readily-available seawater for cooling.

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Planning for the long-term means facing tough challenges. At the core of K2’s brief is the pursuit of powering data centres more robustly, more

is looking to become more vertically integrated into the infrastructure operation process – exploring offshore wind projects and a more interactive relationship with the grid. The future is inevitably uncertain. However, there are ways in which it can be planned for, even shaped, and met with the right tools and philosophy to ensure it is a bright one. K2, embodying the values of the Kuok group, is not only planning for, but helping create a future in which the world’s ever-growing thirst for data is met by long-term, sustainable infrastructure solutions. “It’s common for data centre companies to find empty land, build a reliably and more sustainably. The

facility, flip it and make some money

company is committed to the Dublin 2

for the shareholders. It’s very transac-

facility running on a 100% renewable

tional. Because of our heritage, we’re

electricity power purchase order, as

not transactional at all,” says Kelly. Ho

well as installing significant photovol-

agrees, concluding: that “No matter

taic infrastructure to account for power

how the technology changes, we will

fluctuations in a sustainable way that

be here to support it for years to come.”

doesn’t sacrifice the quality of cooling. “There’s no sun in Ireland, as you know,” laughs Kelly. “The only time it gets hot is when there is sun, so it makes sense to try and address those peaks with solar panels.” Looking ahead, K2 w w w.k 2 da t a c e nt res . com

K2 DATA CENTRES BALLYCOOLIN INDUSTRIAL PARK, DUBLIN, DUBLIN 10, IE P0WERED BY