Datacentered - Issue 04

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Dutch Data Center Association (DDA)

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Editor in Chief

1016 CG Amsterdam

Pim Kokke

The Netherlands

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Zoë Derksen Claire van der Bij Carole Santens

Contributors Laura Beukers, Michiel van Blommestein, Jasper Dietze, Julia Dilissen, Leyla Hesna, Natascha Geraedts, Iain Macdonald, Hugo Onink, Niek van der Pas, Penta Infra, Emily van Putten, Jan Willem van Roggen, Melissa Scholten, Patrycja Smoronska, Stroomkr8, Jeffrey Tijdhof, Peter Vermeulen (Pb7 Research), Yi-Chun Wieldraaijer

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Datacentered

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Datacentered

INTERVIEWS

EXPERT INSIGHTS

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84

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80

98

NOW YOU SEE ME

PROSCREENS PROTECT

JAN WILLEM VAN ROGGEN

NIEK VAN DER PAS

NATASCHA GERAEDTS

Melissa Scholten & Emily van Putten

COOLING UNITS WITHOUT

The Rise of The European TIER 2

What’s Hot in Data Center

What to expect from the NIS2 directive?

EFFICIENCY LOSS

Markets

Standardization?

ANALYSES & EVENTS LIFESTYLE 10

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DATA CENTERS:

STATE OF THE DATA

DIGITALX BELGIUM

THE ENERGY NEXUS

CENTERS IN EASTERN EUROPE

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76

ENERGY MARKET

DIGITAL

UPDATE

INFRASTRUTURE:

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100

THE PATH OF DIGITAL

SOLID AS A ROCK

24/7

STATE OF THE ART

PROGRESS

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Datacentered

Editorial

Editorial

Datacentered

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE During the summer - just like in the Christmas season

Under the Greek sun, I began to realize that the second and

- there is more room for self-reflection. This may or

third editions met a certain standard. However, there was

may not happen over a glass of wine in the sun with

something missing. During the creative process, I missed

good company. The subject of “work” is often a topic

the uncompromising aspiration to create something special.

of conversation during those summer evenings.

Working in a formulaic way is efficient, but sometimes it

Am I still happy with the work I do? What satisfaction do I

can hinder creativity. With the fourth issue, we felkt like

get from my job? In day-to-day tasks, we are less likely to ask

to to prove ourselves again. That is why we went back to

ourselves these questions. We prioritize the daily banalities

the fundamentals of Datacentered. Emily van Putten’s

(what are we eating today?) and deadlines with targets.

inspiring story and the accompanying photoshoot are a great example of the next phase for Datacentered.

I am no exception to this rule. During my vacation, I swam a few laps at Cape Sounion to unwind. As I floated in the

Moreover, you will find photos of the Nexus Data Center

water and enjoyed the view of the Temple of Poseidon,

in Brussels. This data center, which was acquired by Penta

my thoughts wandered to Datacentered. A year ago, the

Infra, symbolizes how you can built a future proof facility

first edition came out. It is during moments like these that

which contributes to the urban landscape. It’s just not your

you realize just how fast time goes by and that - ironically

average grey box. I am also glad that Iain Macdonald is

- you don’t think enough about what and also how you do

back with a great analysis about (future) data centers and

something. For a moment, I was touched by the nostalgic

the energy challenges (spoiler: nuclear energy could be

feelings of 2023. In the Spring, publishing a magazine was

the way to go). However, there is still some misconception

only a figment of Stijn’s (ed. Grove) imagination. The task at

about nuclear energy.

hand was simple yet complex: make something beautiful.

A goal was set: the magazine should be worthy of a spot on

‘Without Prejudice’ as a subtitle for this edition is a summary

the coffee table. By showing the magazine to friends and

of the past period. Going back to the feeling of where we

family, people that work in the data center industry can

once started - combined with the lessons learned from

show how cool our industry can be.

previous editions - makes this edition my all-time favorite.

Pim Kokke Editor-In-Chief

With these goals in mind, we took the time to create the first issue. Getting the basics right and keeping it simple was the credo that came up regularly in the brainstorming sessions. When issue No. 1 arrived through the mail, I was proud of of this magazine that had taken a lot of time to create. But foremost, I enjoyed creating something for which there were no expectations yet.

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Datacentered

Analyses

Analyses

Datacentered

DATA CENTERS: THE ENERGY NEXUS FOR THIS ENERGY TRANSITION TO SUCCEED, THERE HAS TO BE AN ENERGY MIX AND THE MAJOR COMPONENT SHOULD BE NUCLEAR

TEXT: IAIN MACDONALD

Our near future is being defined by automation, climate

and retain hi-value companies and staff. Unsurprisingly

change, urban densification, smart infrastructure and artificial

‘Urban Tech’s’ increasingly AI technology led operations,

intelligence. This digitalisation of the economy and society

requiring low latency and significant resilient power must

is paradoxically having a positive and negative effect. While

prove its carbon free energy credentials, construction and

enabling cities and corporations to function smarter and

operational sustainability to gain regulatory approval and

more efficiently, freeing individuals from static schedules

public acceptance.

and locations, the pervasive use of digital technology, the need to always be ‘on’ and the sheer physicality of digital

Post Covid office space is now giving way to tall Lifesciences

real estate is impacting the environment. Not just through

like One North Quay in London where vertical stacking of

exponential growth in use of materials and emissions but

interdisciplinary research ‘neighbourhoods’ is pathfinding

most importantly energy consumption particularly electricity.

the real estate development of ‘Urban Science’. However laboratories are intensive energy users which with increasing

Across the globe advancing metropolises are those

adoption of technology including image analysis and robotics,

cities fostering ‘industrial ecosystems’ predominantly

contrasts city authorities’ push for net zero carbon in real

clean technologies embedding within urban areas, often

estate. Again, designers and operators must demonstrate

downtown instead of a peripheral industrial zone. This reduces

circularity including carbon free energy credentials to gain

commuting brings ideation and production closer to higher

regulatory approval.

education, consumers, suppliers and workers while at the same time reducing commuting and emissions. Within these

Innovation hubs

ecosystems, buildings in Innovation Clusters are scaling up to

While data centers generally across the globe are scaling up to

provide sufficient flexible and sustainable space to attract

meet rapid growth in demand, proximity urban hyperscale and Super Tall Lifescience and Data Center Structures - Instance BV

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Datacentered

Analyses

“OUR NEAR FUTURE IS BEING DEFINED BY AUTOMATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, URBAN DENSIFICATION, SMART INFRASTRUCTURE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.”

Analyses

Datacentered

Generally good = above 3.5

Investments

- Iain MacDonald

Fair = 2.5 - 3.5

Generally poor = under 2.5

Development

Rents

Rank

Sector

Score

Rank

Sector

Score

Rank

Sector

Score

1.

New energy infrastructure*

4.50

1.

New energy infrastructure*

4.39

1.

Data centers

4.25

2.

Life sciences

4.44

2.

Data centers

4.28

2.

New energy infrastructure*

4.25

3.

Data centers

4.38

3.

Life sciences

4.25

3.

Life sciences

4.20

4.

Self-storage facilities

4.24

4.

Social housing

4.13

4.

Industrial/warehouse

4.14

5.

Retirement/assisted living

4.20

5.

Affordable housing

4.08

5.

Self-storage facilities

4.09

6.

Healthcare

4.16

6.

Healthcare

4.05

6.

Logistics facilities

4.04

7.

Logistics facilities

4.12

7.

Retirement/assisted living

4.04

7.

Private rented residential

3.98

8.

Social housing

4.12

8.

Self-storage facilities

4.03

8.

Retirement/assisted living

3.94

9.

Affordable housing

4.12

9.

Industrial/warehouse

3.98

9.

Co-living

3.90

tall data centers are evolving whether combining innovation

broader decarbonisation of electricity grids in some regions

10.

Private rented residential

4.08

10.

Logistics facilities

3.96

10.

Leisure hotels

3.87

hubs and processing space or adding energy centers for

has helped however to get on track with the UN’s net zero

11.

Student housing

4.03

11.

Private rented residential

3.90

11.

Healthcare

3.87

district heating in an ESG focused strategy to appease

scenario, emissions must halve by 2030 and the energy

12.

Leisure hotels

4.02

12.

Student housing

3.90

12.

Student housing

3.83

planners and funds while avoiding energy moratoriums and

nexus has to be addressed.

13.

Co-living

4.01

13.

Co-living

3.83

13.

Affordable housing

3.82

14.

Industrial/warehouse

3.98

14.

Leisure hotels

3.77

14.

Serviced apartments

3.75

15.

Serviced apartments

3.83

15.

Serviced apartments

3.70

15.

Social housing

3.71

stakeholder resistance. It is important to note Generative AI and Quantum Computing facilities may be an altogether

Twentieth century energy grids, often overloaded and subject

different physical architecture. Technological innovation

to outtages, are the wrong type and in the wrong place to

and changes in location, operational and environmental

meet the geospatial load requirements of data centers and

16.

Flexible/serviced offices and co-working

3.72

16.

Housebuilding for sale

3.60

16.

Housebuilding for sale

3.58

efficiency, effectiveness and aesthetic expression signal

industry 4.0. Renewables alone will not solve this problem.

17.

Leisure

3.67

17.

3.43

17.

Leisure

3.53

changing dynamics and value in digital real estate. This is

Circularity issues with the material and manufacturing

Flexible/serviced offices and co-working

3.60

18.

Leisure

3.40

Flexible/serviced offices and co-working

3.50

processes for solar and the neutralisation of farmland

Housebuilding for sale

18.

why Instance is currently designing prototype ‘Super Tall’

18.

and ‘Super Flat’ next generation AI centers.

particularly if they catch fire or the lack of efficiency, resilience

19.

Central city offices

3.43

19.

Central city offices

3.25

19.

Central city offices

3.47

and most importantly the significant spatial footprint of

20.

Retail parks

3.41

20.

Parking

3.10

20.

Retail parks

3.21

If digitization is unstoppable, to build enough infrastructure

wind, make deployment of both forms, particularly in Europe

21.

Parking

3.39

21.

Business hotels

2.96

21.

Parking

3.17

and facilitate it, where do we need to go?

increasingly controversial.

22.

Business hotels

3.29

22.

Retail parks

2.93

22.

Business hotels

3.06

23.

Business parks

3.20

23.

Business parks

2.87

23.

Business parks

3.05

The US Department of Energy estimates, the water usage

For this energy transition to succeed, there has to be an

effectiveness (WUE) of an average data center using

energy mix and the major component should be nuclear. In

24.

High street shops

3.09

24.

High street shops

2.79

24.

High street shops

3.02

evaporative cooling systems is 1.8L per kWh, consuming

the USA, where data centers account for 9% of electricity

25.

City center shopping centers

2.93

25.

Suburban offices

2.52

25.

2.82

15.91 million litres per day – similar to a city of 30,000-50,000

consumption with an estimated 35 GW of load growth within

26.

Out-of-town shopping centers/retail destinations

2.72

26.

City center shopping centers

City center shopping centers

2.43

26.

Suburban offices

2.77

Suburban offices

2.71

27.

Out-of-town shopping centers/retail destinations

2.62

people. If an urban hyperscale facility consumes 100 MWe

5 years, S&P Global Ratings consider higher power prices

its waste heat is theoretically sufficient to power and heat

have created opportunities for nuclear operators to serve

up to 15,000+ homes. The IAEA estimates emissions from

data centers that locate nearby. Amazon Web Services have

data centers have grown modestly since 2010 despite rapidly

signed with Talen Energy while Constellation Energy, Southern,

growing demand for digital services. Energy efficiency

PSEG Power and Vistra are also candidates for data center

improvements (PUE), renewable energy purchases and

colocation beside their gigawatt nuclear plants.

12

27.

27.

Out-of-town shopping centers/retail destinations

2.25

*e.g. solar, wind, energy storage, electric transportation Emerging Real Estate Trends Europe Survey 2023 - PwC

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Datacentered

Analyses

Analyses

Datacentered

BWRX 300 SMR - GE Vernova / Instance BV

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Datacentered

Analyses

Analyses

Datacentered

However, these plants supply power to existing communities,

These micro reactors can provide heat for industrial processes

services and industry and have a finite spare power capacity.

or electricity for edge computing or a neighbourhood, running

In order to exploit the technological innovation and flexibility

unattended for five to 10 years.

of new nuclear, the US Government’s Inflation Reduction Act is providing billions in funding for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

Day One development

and Nuclear Batteries (micro reactors).

Situated inside two 6m or one 12m ISO container they can be swapped out in a day and trucked back to the factory

Instead of the decade long environmental and labour cost of

for refuelling and refurbishment. Nuclear Batteries take

building gigawatt plants, SMRs offer an opportunity to go ‘off

the concept of factory fabrication and modularity to an

grid’ supplying 300-450 MWe power direct to consumers where

extreme, capable of being deployed quickly, becoming a

it is required. GE VERNOVA’s Nth-of-a-kind BWRX-300 ‘using a

kind of ‘energy on demand service’. Several batteries could

combination of modular and open-top construction techniques,

facilitate Day One development of a data center until power

predominantly factory manufactured, can be constructed in

from an SMR comes online. Batteries could be located with

24-36 months while achieving an approximate 90 percent volume

AI, data, lifescience and other forms of real estate in urban

reduction in plant layout’. The X300 has been selected for sites

areas as they provide a way for ultimately excluding UPS,

in Canada, the US and Instance has been working for several

UPS batteries, back up generators and fuel storage which

years with GEV and associated EPCs on developing operationally

is a desirable cost and environmental saving.

efficient building and site configurations including a brand aware yet environmentally acceptable aesthetic.

With BWXT’s Banner and Westinghouse’s e-Vinci reactors being commercially available by the end of the decade

Nuclear Battery - MIT Anpeg / Norman Foster Foundation

Bill Gate’s Terrapower SMR is intended to supply some of

nuclear energy can be viewed as a product, not a

Microsoft’s data centers while Westinghouse, Korea Power,

mega-project, ideally suited to solving the data center-energy

Rosatom, Rolls Royce and NuScale have similar sized SMR

nexus.

programmes and are attracting attention from universities and government agencies as well as the data industry. With passive safety systems and an exclusion zone restricted to the building envelope, some companies such are CorePower and ULC Energy are building on naval experience to develop off shore and dock side solutions reducing transmission (and latency) distance.

0.0003

square kilometres

1.0

square kilometres

SMR Campus development with colocated data, research, advanced manufacturing or synthetic fuels such as projects Karnfull Next are developing in Sweden and ULC in The Netherlands, is gaining traction with stakeholders, shifting public perception of energy and data infrastructure from something dark and polluting towards recognition of it as a bright, clean high skilled workplace.

Micro Nuclear

SMR Nuclear

At a smaller but not less important scale, the National Academy of Spatial Efficiency Energy Transition - M Ricotti, Politecnico di Torino

16

Engineering suggests we may be on the brink of a new paradigm

About the author

for power generation similar to how centralized computers

Iain Macdonald is a director of Instance, architects in

gave way to today’s widely distributed PCs. ‘A new generation of

Amsterdam and London. A former Professor of IUS,

relatively tiny and inexpensive factory-built reactors, designed

ArtEZ and the School of Architecture at NTU, he has

for autonomous plug-and-play operation similar to plugging in

been designing data centers and networks globally

an oversized battery, is on the horizon’.

for three decades.

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Datacentered

Analyses

Analyses

Datacentered

KNXT Energy Campus - Instance BV

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Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Datacentered

SOLID AS A ROCK Pionen was originally built as a civil defense center back in 1943 and later converted into a data center by Bahnhof. The data center opened on September 11, 2008 and remains operational to this day. The underground facility is secured by a 15.75-inch (40 cm) thick door and can withstand a hydrogen bomb. It also serves as a co-location center, notably used by WikiLeaks in 2010. Designed to resemble a science fiction set, it retains its Cold War name, Pionen White Mountains, and its features.

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Energyy Market Update

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Energyy Market Update

Datacentered

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Datacentered

Lifestyle

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Datacentered

Lifestyle

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Datacentered

Lifestyle

Datacentered

Lifestyle

FACTSHEET POWER SUPPLY • • • • •

Own switchgear with 11 kV transformers connected directly to the public electricity network A total of 1 UPS with internal redundancy of the model Eaton 9395 with a total output power of 1.1 MW Redundancy ratio internal UPM: N+1 Battery life at maximum load: 12 minutes All batteries are lead acid batteries

BACKUP POWER • • •

Total output power of 1.8 MW 2 MTU V16 with individual extinguishing systems for each machine Redundancy ratio: N+1

COOLING •

Main cooling: • 2 heat pumps with 500 kW cooling capacity each.

• Redundancy ratio: N+1

•

Secondary cooling: • 2 liquid chillers of 300 kW cooling capacity each.

• Redundancy ratio N+1

EXTRA INFORMATION • • • •

The data center includes 140 cabinets, each with an average power density of 5.7 kW Cooling systems, organized cabling, and electrical wiring are installed beneath a raised floor that is 3.3 feet (1 meter) deep It houses the Network Operations Center (NOC) for ISP’s entire operations, including five data centers nationwide The facility offers co-location hosting services, allowing customers to place their own servers there

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Datacentered

Expert Insights

JAN WILLEM NIBC BANK

Expert Insights

Datacentered

THE RISE OF THE EUROPEAN TIER 2 MARKETS The demand for European data centers continues to

Czechia, Hungary and Poland, with the larger cities of Prague

rise and is not expected to halt anytime soon. Strongly

and Warsaw in particular, have recently experienced a strong

empowered by an almost exponential development of

increase in both greenfield deployments and investment

novel AI-technologies, double-digit growth forecasts are

appetite. Last year, Microsoft announced to have opened

becoming the norm in the market. On top of that, recent

their first campus consisting of three data centers in Warsaw.

favourable market developments have now caused the data

On top of that, Data4 has chosen to build their campus

center operators and its investors to shift their attention

with 60 MW in total capacity in this city as well. Another

towards the European secondary Tier 2 markets as well.

more western-located hub which benefits from this shift in deployment is Vienna. In the future it will be crucial for these

The perfect combination between availability, affordability

younger markets to live up to their augmented forecasts to

and proximity

provide access to renewable energy sources as well.

As evidenced by continuously lowering vacancy rates, the traditional European FLAP-D markets remain highly in

Despite the traditional FLAP-D market being confronted

demand. Nevertheless, partially driven by the scarcity of

more regularly with its power and land limitations, nearly all

power and suitable locations in this region, more large-scale

forecasters in the European data center market seem to be

greenfield campuses will be developed in other European

aligned on the enormous growth potential of European data

geographies.

center operators. Essential for these double-digit projections is the continued uptick in data center deployments in

Secondary markets like Berlin, Milan, Madrid and Marseille

secondary Tier 2 markets in other European geographies

can provide data center operators and its off-takers the

like Madrid, Milan, Marseille and Warsaw. These relatively

perfect combination between land and power availability

newer markets have the ability to provide great benefits

and affordability, whilst still providing proximity to the data

both to operators and off-takers by supplying the necessary

generation. In addition, a huge accelerant for the secondary

resources at competitive prices. This strong value proposition

markets is the decreased dependency on latency, for instance

leads financiers to shift a great portion of their current and

in AI-training facilities. Financial institutions are therefore

future attention to these European secondary markets.

financing more green- and brownfield expansions in those regions as well. Another benefit of a secondary market like

Biography

the Nordics is the abundant availability of renewable power,

Jan Willem van Roggen is a seasoned banker who has a

and the strong level of expected government support. The

successful career in the financial services industry. With

usage of renewable energy positively impacts the data

over three decades of experience in banking, Jan Willem is

center’s sustainability performances (PUE) and thereby

currently heading the Commercial Real Estate and Digital

increases the financial attractiveness.

Infrastructure teams at NIBC Bank, which operate extensively across Europe. His teams possess extensive knowledge of

VAN ROGGEN

Eastern- and Central Europe gain attraction from data

the latest market trends and financing opportunities, allowing

center operators and investors

them to offer valuable insights and solutions to clients.

A more recent development is the increased development of data centers in Central- and Eastern Europe. Countries like

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Datacentered

State of the Data Centers in Eastern Europe

State of the Data Centers in Eastern Europe

Datacentered

STATE OF THE DATA CENTERS IN EASTERN EUROPE TEXT: PETER VERMEULEN (PB7 RESEARCH)

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Datacentered

State of the Data Centers in Eastern Europe

State of the Data Centers in Eastern Europe

Datacentered

The data center market in Eastern Europe1 is developing ra-

In other Eastern European countries, there is a clear trend

Over 1 Gigawatt

Permitting process

pidly. Over the past couple of years, Warsaw has emerged

of improving the quality of new data centers to Tier-3 or

The market is Eastern Europe has grown rapidly over the

In summary, the market in Eastern Europe is changing

as a key hub for Eastern Europe. Poland has experienced a

even Tier-4 levels. Also, in terms of energy efficiency and re-

past years. By the start of this year, the combined countries

and maturing rapidly. There is a lot of local development

long period of strong economic growth and is catching up

newables, many data centers will need to make additional

were home to data centers with 457 MW of IT Power. For

going on, while also global vendors are starting to spread

quickly in digitalization. As a result, there has been a strong

steps. Additionally, the first large data centers are emerging

the future, when we combine all public announcements,

their wings across the region. There are also some obvious

demand for local retail colocation. It also attracted the at-

in Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia. Interestingly, there is also

there is 688 MW under construction or being developed.

challenges, especially in terms of both physical and digi-

tention of global cloud players, who are investing in new

interest coming from the Far East to invest here, since the-

When we add announcements that have not (yet) been

tal infrastructure (certainly not everywhere!) and red tape

cloud regions. On top of that, Warsaw is also attractive as

se countries are the link between the West (FLAP-D) and

made public, the pipeline is well over 1 Gigawatt. The big-

in the permitting process. With continued digitalization of

an alternative to the congested FLAP-D markets. As a result,

the East. One of the benefits of investing this region are the

gest portion of the announcements, more than 350 MW, is

the domestic markets, global investments in cloud and AI

demand for wholesale and built-to-suit data centers has

relatively low costs.

targeted at Romania, with Poland as a strong second with

infrastructure, and market congestion in Europe’s TIER-1

about 150 MW. There is plenty of momentum in Croatia

markets, there are plenty of opportunities.

been robust.

and the Czech Republic. However, we also see a lack of large activity in Hungary and Bulgaria.

While Poland is by far the largest market in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have a slighter higher “data center density”, in terms of the market size in Megawatts compared to population size. When we look at this metric, it becomes obvious that data center infrastructure

1. For this article, we are looking at Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia

is lagging in especially Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, and to some extent also Slovakia and Croatia.

COLOCATION DATA CENTER MARKET SIZE 2024

TOP 3 VENDORS PER COUNTRY 2024 #1

#2

#3

Bulgaria

Telepoint

Neterra

Equinix

3,9

Croatia

Cratis

A1 Hrvatska

Apis IT

77

7,1

Czech Republic

Deutsche Telekom

TTC Teleport

seznam.cz

Hungary

18

1,8

Hungary

Deutsche Telekom

Invitech

Infotechna

Poland

252

6,9

Poland

Atman

Equinix

Polcom

Romania

28

1,5

Romania

Evobits

Clusterpower

NXDATA

Slovakia

15

2,7

Slovakia

Deutsche Telekom

CNC

DCBA

Slovenia

4

1,9

Slovenia

Telemach

Posita

Arctur

TOTAL

457

4,9

MW

Watt per inhabitant

Bulgaria

49

7,6

Croatia

15

Czech Republic

Source: Pb7 Research, 2024 Source: Pb7 Research, 2024

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DCP

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POLAND GDP

€779.04 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€2.50 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2028)

€3.20 BILLION

CAGR (2024-2028)

5.15%

INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

#33 38

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DCP

DCP

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CZECH REPUBLIC GDP

€300.57 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€1.31 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€1.57 BILLION

CAGR (2024-2029)

3.66%

INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

#5 40

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DCP

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SLOVENIA GDP

€66.50 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€120-140 MILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€277.00 MILLION

CAGR (2024-2029)

8-10%

INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

#16 42

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DCP

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CROATIA GDP

€81.24 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€196.18 MILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€243.68 MILLION

CAGR (2024-2029)

4.43%

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SLOVAKIA GDP

€129.88 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€312.86 MILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€412.48 MILLION

CAGR (2024-2028)

5.68%

INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

#12 46

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DCP

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HUNGARY GDP

€206.06 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€605.71 MILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€960.34 MILLION

CAGR (2024-2029)

9.65%

INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

#11 48

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BULGARIA GDP

€99.55 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€164.73 MILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€209.84 MILLION

CAGR (2024-2029)

4.96%

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ROMANIA GDP

€341.24 BILLION

MARKET SIZE (2024)

€259.6 MILLION

MARKET SIZE (2029)

€269.8 MILLION

CAGR (2024-2029)

4.76%

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NOW YOU SEE ME TEXT: PIM KOKKE INTERVIEW: MELISSA SCHOLTEN PHOTOGRAPHY: HUGO ONINK, LIFESHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY MAKE-UP: PATRYCJA SMORONSKA, SPLASH PHOTOSHOOTS

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Every industry has developed a stereotype over the

security is more integrated in solutions. However, employees

years. That this persona changes in doings due to the

are not always sufficiently aware that they pose the greatest

zeitgeist is undeniable. While men are fighting during

risk to the organization. Think, for example, of phishing,

World War II at the front, mostly women are at home

which happens a lot. That is why it is important to create

programming computers. In the late 1960s, this picture

awareness among employees about cyber security, what

changes. Computers are becoming more powerful, causing

technical solutions there are to assist the user and having

governments and companies to think about how important

the infrastructure in order.”

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computers are going to be for the future. Women - who were already paid less - are replaced by men doing the

During the conversation, Emily mentions her own eponymous

same work.

website. On this website, she publishes articles about her personal life and IT. In one of her blogs, she writes about how she, as a child, secretly assembled computers and made them

In recent decades, the above mentioned image has not

work. Even some high bills of a few hundred Dutch guilders

changed. The stereotype of engineers as a “male profession”

that her father received didn’t stop her to follow her passion.

is still there. However, the urge to change this stereotype has become louder in recent years. From the government

Yet there is something remarkable.

but also from the business side, diversity in the work place is higher on the agenda. One of the drivers of diversity in

Emily: “I actually never used to have the goal of becoming

the digital infrastructure industry is Emily van Putten. At the

an IT professional. Working with computers was mostly a fun

moment, she works in the field of cloud software but she was

hobby for me. In fact, I wanted to study electrical engineering

previously active in a data center. During the photoshoot,

where you build things with transistors and components. I

she walks through the server rooms, enthusiastically talking

found that a huge enrichment for my life. When ADSL came

about the severs, fiber cables and UPSs. A nostalgic feeling

along, I wanted to create a website. At that time I had been

prevails her. “This is the place where everything happens

to a camp and wanted to share photos of it with everyone.

around the Internet. It also particularly reminds me of the

Through school I got an old computer that I took apart and

time when I was doing hardware maintenance at night.”

hid under my bed so my parents wouldn’t see it. I built the website on that computer and every weekend pictures of

Melissa: “Do you sometimes miss working with hardware?”

parties were posted.”

Emily: “No, I don’t. That has mostly to do with the developments going on in this market and especially how

It was eventually Emily’s mother who, during a gap year of

I have developed as a person myself. I find it very good

Emily, shoved a newspaper under her nose containing a

to have awareness of the fundamentals of data centers

call from a Getronics subsidiary for a traineeship. In 2007,

and experience how the technology works. That helps

Emily enters the work field where she starts at the help desk.

in understanding this at a higher level as I am now more

She then took on the role of system administrator before

concerned with strategy and leadership within IT.”

progressing to engineer. Yet the feeling creeps up on her to focus more on cyber security. According to Emily, the

Melissa: “How would you describe your role?”

social relevance and her interest in the subject matter are

Emily: “I advise companies on cyber security measures

what prompted her to take the plunge. In 2017, she asks her

to protect them from hackers. That mainly involves how

then-employer if she could take the Certified Information

you start implementing a cyber security strategy within an

Systems Security Professional (CISSP) training which she

organization. In the past, people used to be go to a desk

later successfully completes.

and present and verify their security solution. Nowadays,

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Women in IT For the industry, Emily also has some good advice: let data centers organize an open day once a year. This way, young people also get a sharper picture of what goes on inside a data center. In addition, it can also help them increase their interest in the profession.

Melissa: “You were born into stereotypical gender male. Do you think if you had grown up as a woman you would have ended up in IT as well?

Emily: “I don’t think so, because even then there were very few women working in the industry. It is already enormously difficult to retain women in IT. The outflow of women in the first 5 years is three times higher compared to men. Slowly attention is being paid to this fact, but not enough in my opinion. Therefore, I also dare to say that if I had taken the same steps as a girl at the time, I would not have been at the same point in my career. Women face specific challenges in the workplace, which are widespread in this masculine industry. In addition, my qualities would not have been valued the same, which would have caused my career to run differently.”

Melissa: “Is that also something you’re working hard for as a board member of Dutch Women In Tech?”

Emily: “Absolutely. My main focus right now is trying to focus on retaining women in IT, rather than attracting them. You see that there is a steady increase of women coming to work in this sector. Fortunately, there are a number of initiatives for that as well, but there is less emphasis on retention. That is why at Dutch Women In Tech we connect women in the sector, share experiences with each other and ensure that these ladies can flourish in IT. Yet, there are still challenges to overcome, because you cannot convince everyone.

Emily’s transition comes up. She talks about her masculine upbringing, where making a career was paramount and rationality took precedence over showing and expressing your emotions. Emily talks about how she became depressed and couldn’t explain where that feeling came from. The emptiness she felt was filled by buying new gadgets that then ended up back in the closet after two weeks. Eventually she met people experienced the same feelings. After that, the word came out: “I am transgender.”

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Melissa: “How did your work place responded to this?

Emily: “I made the choice to let work lag behind reality so that I had flexibility to control the image. However, I quickly noticed that when I was working at home and the camera came on, I put on my masculine clothes. Constantly changing clothes caused me a lot of distress and confusion. At some point I wanted to get rid of that. I talked to my supervisor and explained the situation. But after that I noticed that something was still wrong. I saw my birth name on the screen, because at that time my legal name was listed everywhere.

The company then changed that and helped and supported me very much.”

Melissa: “What advise would you give to the industry?”

Emily: “I personally notice how much everyone values social and societal expectations such as dress, appearance and behavior that have a lot of impact on one’s life. Therefore, I think the best thing is to go for your own happiness and make yourself vulnerable and be open to others. The latter is something that I have learned and that you also get back from other people. That creates deep connections with each other, where everyone listens to each other without judging.

Melissa: “There is still a long way to go. People have to confront prejudice and biases on a daily basis. But without dialogue, vulnerability and courage, no change at all would be possible within the industry.”

Eventually, in a few decades, we will look back on this time and hopefully see pictures of all kinds of people from different backgrounds. And how do we look at working in our industry at that time? The future and history will tell.

Biography Melissa Scholten Sr. Communications Manager, Digital Realty Netherlands Emily van Putten Expert in Cloud Security & Cyber Resilience

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24/7 You always need people.

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Essay

DIGITAL INFRASTRUTURE: THE PATH OF DIGITAL PROGRESS

Essay

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It is an honor to address you tonight at the Dutch embassy

So, this new subsea infrastructure, coupled with innovative

here in Washington. I would like to thank the organizers of this

ways to utilize the burgeoning network, sparked a

dinner event, the embassy of the Netherlands, and Eurofiber

technological revolution that continues to this day. As we

as it is very valuable to have these events to connect and

stand on the shoulders of these technological giants, we are

learn from each other.

tasked with steering this revolution into a future that promises even greater connectivity and innovation.

Just over a century and a half ago, Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call. His message to his assistant,

Now, just 35 years since that first website, our global economy

merely steps away in the next room, was simple: “Come

is deeply intertwined with digital services. Entire sectors have

here, I want to see you.” Today, we might chuckle at the

undergone transformations, with technology emerging as a

thought of using such groundbreaking technology for a

crucial component for survival. Take, for example, my recent

mundane request. However, this moment marked the dawn

experience upon landing in Washington. While waiting in

of the telecommunications era — an era that none could

line for customs, I ordered an e-Sim online for local data

have predicted would expand to encompass the global

services. We then shared an Uber from the airport, I checked

connectivity we rely on today.

into my hotel online, paid for my public transport card using Apple Pay, and even booked my Sunday visit to the beautiful

We gather in this room, a melting pot of connected minds

Smithsonian museum - all digitally.

steering the colossal ship of the digital industry—integral to every aspect of modern life. Today, I want to take you on a

Today, seven out of the top ten largest companies in the world

journey through our past, our present, and the horizon that lies

are in the tech sector. ASML, the largest Dutch company, is

ahead. We’ll explore the landmarks of our industry’s history,

also a tech company and ranks as the third largest in Europe

the perceptions that shape us, and the dual challenges and

by market cap, making it the most valuable tech company on

opportunities that await.

the EU continent. Rewind to 1990, and the top ten companies were predominantly in the automotive and oil industries.

The digital revolution

Data centers, along with the entire digital infrastructure, now involve investments upward of $100 billion dollar. Our economy and our national sovereignty increasingly hinge on our strength in digital fields. But how did the industry developed herself in the past decades and more importantly: what perception is needed to create sustainable growth?

In 1988, a significant leap was made with the launch of TAT-8,

How did such a seismic shift occur in such a brief span?

the first transatlantic fiber optic cable linking the US and

It boils down to technology, demand, and, critically, digital

Europe. That year, a digital handshake across the Atlantic

infrastructure. These elements have fueled our connected

brought the NSFNET of the US into direct contact with

world. Let me explain this through three fundamental laws:

networks in Amsterdam, marking the first US/EU internet connection. This connection transformed email from

Moore’s Law: Introduced by Gordon Moore of Intel, it

a twice-daily scheduled delivery into an instantaneous

observes that the number of transistors on a microchip

communication tool. Just two years later, Sir Tim Berners-Lee

doubles about every two years, thus correspondingly

at CERN unveiled the World Wide Web. The first website,

increasing computing power.

hosted on a server at CERN, bore a sign, probably for the cleaners: “Don’t switch it off, this is a server, not a desktop.”

The Law of Data Gravity: This concept describes how a

This first website, and webserver, facilitated access to CERN’s

hub’s attractiveness is inherently linked to its mass of data,

research data, and at around the same time, by its side, the

which attracts more applications and services, enhancing

third-ever website went live, belonging once again to the

its value and utility.

Math Faculty in Amsterdam.

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Metcalfe’s Law: This law addresses the concept of network

Growing demand digital infrastructure

optimal backhaul connectivity between Frankfurt and London

and the best strategies for moving forward, remain topics

effects, showing how the value of a communication network

Our digital economy demands an unprecedented level of

is set to further expand. These enhancements will facilitate

for lively debate. That’s precisely why we’ve gathered here

grows exponentially with the square of the number of its

digital infrastructure development. Recent announcements

the emergence of new technologies and services that rely

today. We can only do this together and I hope this evening

users. This principle extends beyond traditional networks to

in the last 3 months highlight the scale of these requirements.

on ultra-fast and reliable connectivity. This infrastructure will

will help us draw nearer to the next steps in our journey.

encompass all tech ecosystems, such as social media and

For example, AWS plans to invest $150 billion in digital

not only support current digital demands but also catalyze

cloud platforms. These platforms are revolutionizing the way

infrastructure over the next 15 years and Microsoft has

the next generation of innovations which further solidifies

Background

we communicate, conduct business, and drive innovation,

announced a new data center for AI with an investment of

Europe’s leadership in the global digital economy.

In May, Stijn Grove (managing director of the Dutch Data

underscoring the importance of building and maintaining

$100 billion. These investment figures are unprecedented

robust, inclusive technological networks.

and signify just the beginning of a long-term trend.

Center Association) represented the trade association at the A new mindset is needed

International Telecoms Week (ITW) in Washington. During this

Historically, our industry has operated ‘under the radar,’ often

event, Stijn was invited by the Dutch Embassy for a dinner

Next to these three laws’, we also have Liebig’s Law, which

In line with Liebig’s Law, which states that growth is dictated

quite literally as with submarine cables on the ocean floor.

with the industry to give a speech about data centers and

posits that growth is constrained not by total resources but

by the scarcest resource, the expansion of data centers

However, as we continue to grow, increasing our visibility

its crucial role in society. For this edition of Datacentered,

by the scarcest resource, the limiting factor. Especially in the

illustrates the need for comprehensive investment across

becomes crucial because our future depends on it. Data

we have re-written the speech of Stijn.

layered model of technology.

the entire supply chain.

centers, along with the entire digital infrastructure, now

About the author

involve investments upward of $100 billion and consume

Stijn Grove is the Managing Director and founder of the

A period of rapid transformation

Opportunities and challenges

unprecedented amounts of energy. It’s imperative that

We are transitioning to a new economic paradigm that

To effectively harness the power of AI, we require significantly

we rethink our growth strategies to maintain a positive

prioritizes inclusivity, social responsibility, transparency,

more bandwidth, particularly as 95% of our global data

public perception and ensure sustainable development.

sustainability, and circularity—all underpinned by increasing

transmission occurs over sea cables. As AI grows in strategic

Furthermore, as our sector expands, attracting and retaining

digitization. The astonishing pace of change driven by artificial

importance, it becomes imperative to invest in new and

talent, also more diverse than now, is essential to harness

intelligence (AI) is set to accelerate even further, potentially

diverse routes to maintain stability in an increasingly

the enormous potential of this industry. Just a few years ago,

Association. He chairs the Kickstart Europe Conference

outstripping our ability to measure it.

unpredictable world. The interplay between AI advancements

the adage was that data is the new gold; more recently, the

and the Green Data Center Conference and co-founded

and the expansion of submarine cable infrastructure is of

focus has shifted to computing power as the ultimate assest.

TouchDown Middle East and DigitalX. Stijn also established

Ray Kurzweil, in his essay ‘The Law of Accelerating Returns’,

strategic international importance. These investments in

compellingly argues that technological change is exponential,

digital infrastructure are designed not only to boost data

However, I believe a broader view is essential. In the

not linear. He predicts that the 21st century will not experience

capacity and reduce latency but also to enhance the overall

Netherlands, our growth as a major digital hub illustrates

a mere hundred years of change, but an equivalent of 20,000

resilience of the network against both physical and cyber

the power of an expansive interpretation of Liebig’s Law,

years of progress. He anticipates that within a few decades,

threats.

meshed with Metcalfe’s principles of network effects. This

machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading

Dutch Data Center Association (DDA), the national trade association for data centers in the Netherlands. He also leads Digital Gateway to Europe, which promotes the Dutch data center hub. Stijn is a Board Member of the European Data Centre Association and Belgium Digital Infrastructure

Datacenterplatform and Datacentered.

encompasses a wide array of initiatives: from investing in all

us to the singularity — a moment so transformative that it

Such enhancements are crucial for ensuring that Europe

digital infrastructure layers, ensuring a sufficient workforce,

could mark a breaking point in human history.

remains a central hub in the global data exchange network

constantly adapting our educational systems to prepare

and that we the western world remains safe. Furthermore,

for future jobs, focus on research on new technologies

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, remarked about future

the increased deployment of AI intensifies the phenomenon

like photonics and quantum computing, launching new

advancements in AI, saying it more bluntly, “When ChatGPT

known as data gravity, where the performance of AI models

sustainability efforts, to integrating these advances with our

version 5 comes out, we will view the current version 4 as

is optimized through centralization. The FLAP hub continues

power grids and strengthening our position as an international

the dumbest model we have ever experienced and mildly

to strengthen and serve as pivotal centers of development

digital nexus.

embarrassing.” Of course, history has shown that grand

and economic value for any future digital infrastructure

predictions and promises of digital technology do not always

investments expand. With Amsterdam established as a

Our economy and our national sovereignty increasingly

become reality. But the decades behind us have proved that

crucial data distribution hub and landing point for subsea

hinge on our strength in digital fields. Undoubtedly, there’s a

enormous changes and possibilities are lying ahead of us.

cables , its role as a key digital gateway facilitating

substantial amount of work ahead. The path of our progress

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Expert Insights

WHAT’S HOT IN DATA CENTER STANDARDIZATION?

NIEK LEGRAND

Datacentered

As the data center industry evolves, the importance

temperatures, resulting in increased power consumption and

of standardization cannot be overstated. These

hence a higher EDC. Additionally, the data center can’t rely on

standards not only ensure efficiency and sustainability

free cooling in winter and must use the heat pump to supply

but also drive innovation and reliability in data center

the district heating. To counter this, the German government’s

operations. In this article, I will delve into the current

Energy Efficiency Bill “Energieeffizienzgesetz” excludes the

hot topics in data center standardization, concluding

electricity consumption of systems solely recovering waste

with areas I believe need further standardization.

heat from the data center, aligning with Option #3.

PUE: A Key Metric Under Revision

However, Option #3 poses challenges. For instance, consider

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is a critical metric used to

a scenario where the heat pump is used to heat a neighboring

gauge the energy efficiency of data centers. PUE is defined

office building and is equipped with an extra dry cooler to

as the total data center energy consumption divided by the

ensure the system operates under all conditions.

total IT equipment energy consumption in a formula PUE =EDC/EIT. Currently, there is an intense discussion on how to

When the office does not require heating in summer, the data

account for the energy consumed by heat pumps, especially

center benefits from a lower PUE because the heat pump’s

when the heat energy rejected by IT equipment is reused,

electricity consumption is excluded from EDC. However,

for example, by district heating systems. The temperature

this situation results in the heat not being reused, which

of an average data center’s waste heat is not high enough

undermines the efficiency gains; this leaves Option #2, which

for a heating system network; thus, a heat pump is needed

considers the real efficiency of the system but is complex

to amplify the temperature.

to implement.

Three options are under discussion:

Challenges in Water Usage Effectiveness

1.

All energy consumed by the heat pump is included in EDC

Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) is another area undergoing

2.

An adjusted EDC is calculated based on the energy

revision. Under the leadership of Arjan Westerhoff, the ISO/

consumed by the heat pump divided by the CER

IEC workgroup is improving the definition of different water

(Cooling Efficiency Ratio ISO/IEC 30134-7) value of the

types, such as reused and industrial water. The goal is to refine

data center cooling system.

the KPI’s basics for ease of use, ensuring more effective water

None of the energy consumed by the heat pump is

management in data centers.

3.

included in EDC. Sustainable Best Practices

VAN DER PAS 80

Option #1 reflects the current published ISO/IEC standard

In Europe, the Taxonomy framework, based on the EU Code

and is relatively simple. However, a data center using a heat

of Conduct and the EN 50600 series, guides sustainable

pump to deliver higher temperature water to be used by

data center practices. The TS 50600-5-1 Maturity Model,

that district heating system is penalized with a higher PUE.

released last year, is now being reviewed for inclusion in the ISO/IEC series, a set of international standards that provide

This is because the heat pump has lower efficiency due to the

a framework for the effective management and operation

transferring of the thermal energy to the higher demanded

of data centers, reflecting its growing importance.

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Liquid Cooling Standards With the rise of AI and its associated higher power densities, there is an increasing demand for liquid cooling in data centers. Liquid cooling offers significant benefits, such as higher energy efficiency and reduced space requirements, but it also presents challenges, including potential leaks and the need for specialized maintenance. IEC 48D is conducting a study to determine standardization needs. I advocate for standardizing temperature, focusing on high-temperature heat reuse (>70 °C) or free cooling (>35 °C). If you want to make AI’s enormous energy requirements viable and sustainable, make all its energy easy reusable and operate with a near zero WUE. Future Focus of Data Center Standardization Further standardization is needed in several key areas of data center operations. These include refining PUE metrics to account for heat pump energy use, improving WUE by better defining water types, and enhancing sustainable practices guided by the EU’s Taxonomy framework and EN 50600 series. Additionally, there is a pressing need for standards in liquid cooling, focusing on high-temperature heat reuse and free cooling to support the sustainability of AI’s energy demands.

In conclusion, while the path to standardization is complex and challenging, it is essential for the evolution of efficient, sustainable, and innovative data centers. As John F. Kennedy aptly said: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” The same spirit drives us to tackle these challenges in data center standardization

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SIMPLE MESH SOLUTIONS EXTENDS HVAC LIFECYCLES

PROSCREENS PROTECT COOLING UNITS WITHOUT EFFICIENCY LOSS While data centers have been on the technical forefront in climate control systems and efficiency monitoring, innovations from other sectors occasionally make their splash in the IT facility sector. Interfilter Group is offering its ProScreens solution - an installation that protects outside cooling units from the elements and general debris - to data centers and it is generating impressive results.

TEXT: MICHIEL VAN BLOMMESTEIN

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“IT GOT ME THINKING WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PROTECT THOSE COOLING UNITS WITH SOME KIND OF SCREEN, WITHOUT

Sustainability and Durability

CREATING AN

The results in the various data center environments where

EXTRA BURDEN.”

reduce servicing costs by up to 50%, Deden claims. “This

this solution is installed are impressive. ProScreens can efficiency caught the eye of a data center sustainability manager, who noted the potential for significant reductions in Scope 3 emissions.” The solution also results in savings on service procedures, call-outs, and spare part transport, while increasing the lifespan of the cooling unit. Proper utilization of ProScreens enables energy savings of 8-12% to be achieved.

Being a low-tech system, the ProScreens are durable and

It all began when Randy Deden, New Business Sales Manager

straightforward to use. “ProScreens come with a five-year

at Interfilter Group, noticed a non-data center customer’s

warranty, matching the lifespan of the cooling machines they

cooling unit covered in a blanket of debris. “That simply

protect,” Deden explains. “They are designed to withstand

had to hinder the efficiency,” Deden said. “It got me thinking

extreme weather conditions, including tornado-level winds

whether it would be possible to protect those cooling units

up to 140 kph.” Being a turnkey solution, implementing

with some kind of screen, without creating an extra burden.”

ProScreens does require sufficient time to install or requires a project to be organised. “It’s usually a matter of weeks to

The resulting mesh solution, ProScreens, captures particles

Constant Monitoring

“In Dutch data centers, condensers are typically cleaned

set up,” Deden says. In addition, Interfilter Group manages

that could hinder the performance of cooling units. These

Cooling units are crucial for data centers to operate,

twice a year, which is an intensive and costly task that

the entire process from production to installation, ensuring

include dirt and soot, but also seasonal debris like pollen

while efficiency is key for an industry that has been under

can also damage the condensers,” Deden continues. “In

seamless integration without interrupting the business

and leaves. “Removing these contaminations from the units

scrutiny for years now. However, Deden needed to do some

contrast, we recommend that based on the contamination

operations. This approach allows us to fully support our

is labor intensive and in most cases this needs to be done

convincing before landing his first pilot project. “One common

cleaning our ProScreens approximately 3-4 times a year,

customers throughout the process, providing peace of

by a third party,” Deden explains. Debris removal from the

concern that they brought up is pressure drop, which can

easily done by users themselves with a brush or vacuum

mind regarding the installation’s performance and lifespan.

ProScreens on the other hand is relatively easy. Rain and wind

reduce efficiency,” he recalls. “ProScreens address this by

cleaner, empowering them to handle it independently

can even wash off of the contamination. All while maintaining

allowing customers to monitor contamination levels and

rather than relying on a third party.” This approach not only

The successes of ProScreens already has Interfilter looking

airflow and efficiency. The design also accommodates tight

clean screens as needed, preventing neglect and maintaining

enhances operational efficiency but also ensures long-term

at the future. One upcoming solution is aimed at preventing

installations, sometimes requiring internal mounting alongside

performance.” However, he points out, deploying ProScreens

performance and reduces environmental impact, while

short-circuiting caused by warm air recirculation, including

soundproof enclosures.

also needs some adaptations of maintenance routines. While

saving costs on intensive maintenance services.

a quick scan. “The data center market is very quality driven,

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it saves on intensive servicing, the screens itself need to be

and that suits us,” Deden says. “We have more than enough

washed down on a regular basis.

capacity to scale up.”

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Energy Market Update

Energy Market Update

Datacentered

ENERGY MARKET UPDATE

Stroomkr8 is an independent energy consultancy company. They support their clients on all kinds of energy sourcing activities, from strategic/conceptual matters to daily and operational practice. They buy and sell energy for their clients in 17 different countries with a team of highly experienced colleagues within both supply companies and consultancy.

More information: www.stroomkr8.nl

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Energy Market Update

Energy Market Update

Datacentered

In once again a year with many influences from escalations

Oil prices remain volatile, with recent fluctuations that could

next decade, with a substantial portion directed towards

Renewable Energy Expansion: The F55 plan anticipates a

in the world, the energy market has been moving strongly

affect operational costs for data centers, especially those

green energy infrastructure. This includes investments in

major ramp-up in renewable energy capacity, aiming for

up and down. Therefore we provide you with the latest

reliant on generators for emergency power. Gas prices have

renewable energy sources, power grid upgrades, and building

a 70% share by 2030. This will require an unprecedented

details in the energy market and bring you up to speed

also risen, directly impacting costs for energy-intensive

renovations to accommodate new electric heating systems.

acceleration in the installation of wind and solar capacity.

on possibilities and risks. In this report we will share our

data centers. The price increases are largely attributable to

view on the energy markets to help you understand the

geopolitical tensions and the reduced availability of LNG.

Impact on Power Prices: The reduction in legacy power plants,

Financial and Policy Support: Achieving these goals will

combined with the challenges in rapidly scaling up renewable

necessitate extensive financial investments and supportive

Geopolitical risks, such as tensions in the Middle East and

energy sources like wind and solar, is likely to tighten the

policies, including subsidies for electric vehicles and heat

uncertainties around gas supply from Russia to Europe,

supply-demand balance, thus supporting higher power

pumps, to make the transition economically viable for

The U.S. economy is showing a mixed picture, which is relevant

remain a significant factor. These uncertainties could lead

prices in the short term, especially in markets like Germany.

consumers and industries.

for data centers focusing on cost management. The decline

to higher energy prices and should be closely monitored by

in housing construction permits to the lowest level in four

data centers aiming to manage their energy costs.

Benefits to Green Energy Majors: Companies involved in

Challenges and Considerations

green energy are expected to see much higher returns,

Regulatory and Financial Risks: The scale of investment and

double-digit earnings growth, and significant value creation.

the rapid changes in infrastructure may expose companies

energy triggers and provide support to your procurement decisions.

years might prompt the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 0.25% in September. This could impact financing costs

All these factors together underscore the importance of

for infrastructure expansion or renewal. On the positive side,

a flexible and well-informed energy procurement strategy

strong consumer spending and rising consumer confidence

for data centers, especially in a time when energy markets

Electrification Strategy and Its Implications

suggest a potential ‘soft landing’ for the economy without

are highly dynamic.

Sector-specific Shifts: The automotive, real estate, and

falling into a recession. This could ensure stable demand for

to regulatory uncertainties and financial risks, particularly if energy prices fluctuate or policy adjustments occur.

manufacturing sectors are key areas where electrification will

Technological and Operational Hurdles: The speed of

The electrification of European economies, as highlighted by

have a substantial impact. The adoption of electric vehicles

technological adoption and the capability of industries

the Fit for 55 (F55) plan, represents a significant shift towards

and the installation of heat pumps will significantly increase

and power grids to handle these changes without disruption

The Chinese economy is showing signs of slowdown, with

reducing emissions and increasing the share of electricity in

individual and aggregate power consumption.

pose significant operational challenges.

declines in both consumer and producer confidence. This

the energy mix. This transition is driven by the urgent need

cooling could impact the demand for cloud services and thus

to meet the 2030 target of a 55% reduction in emissions.

data storage and processing.

This electrification effort is not just about energy transition

occupancy rates of data centers in the region. A decrease

but is also a critical component of Europe’s broader

in the number of issued loans also indicates caution in

Key Points

environmental and economic policies aimed at sustainability

investments, which could indirectly affect the sector.

Increased Electricity Demand: The push for electrification is

and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

projected to increase power demand by approximately 50% For the Netherlands, the CPB predicts economic growth

by 2030. This marks a reversal of the previous 15-year trend

of 1.6% next year, with an increase in purchasing power. This

of declining power usage. Significant growth is expected

year, growth remains modest at 0.6%. For data centers, this

from new sources such as electric vehicles, heat pumps,

could mean that local businesses might invest more in IT

and industrial motors.

infrastructure as a result of a stronger economy.

Investment Requirements: To support this shift, Europe needs to mobilize around €3.7 trillion in capital over the

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Energy Market Update

Power market

The mismatch between prediction and actual off take is

In the energy market the power price driver is still gas,

imbalance. Why is the impact of renewables stronger that

it controls the market when renewables aren’t sufficient.

before? This is where the replacement of secure production

Providing opportunities for companies that have their

location like coal and gas are being replaced with less

demand during office hours and less benefit from renewables

predictable renewable sources. If the weather forecast shows

for baseload steady off takers like data centers. This because

a good amount of sunshine combined with a wind force

the low midday pricing is leveled out by high shoulder hours

of 4/5 Beaufort, it will provide enough power to supply the

(19:00 to 24:00 and 06:00 to 08:00).

country. But as we all are aware of the weather predictions

Energy Market Update

EUA EUR/MWh

400.00 350.00 300.00 250.00 200.00 150.00 100.00 50.00 0.00 -50.00 -100.00

a cloudy day with hardly any wind the production will not

off takers in the market. Not only beneficial, as risk from

meet the needed levels to have a safe supply of energy.

renewable’s in general, due to the unpredictable character

Tennet will call upon quick responding production (gas

of the imbalance market and therefore the risk for suppliers.

power production installations) to ramp up and clear any

How does imbalance work? In general most off takers allow

inconvenience. Only they will produce at a beneficial high

their supplier to predict the next day usage or production,

price for them, higher cost resulting in high imbalance prices.

this is done the day before delivery at 11:00 for all of the

Suppliers that predicted high renewable output will have to

suppliers portfolio, Tennet receives all predictions and will

pay this higher price as they did not match their prediction.

make sure that the volume that is produced in a country is

The logic being that this needed power production runs

sufficient to supply all, with a bandwidth for unexpected

at prices of 2000 euro/15 min. With renewable production

events. It is logical that a third party will always be wrong

growing still, the risk for supplier seem to increase exponential.

about what you will use or produce during the day, as no

This results in higher cost to serve clients for suppliers and

day is like the day before.

giving less room to decrease the service premiums.

1-8-2024 2-8-2024 3-8-2024 4-8-2024 5-8-2024 6-8-2024 7-8-2024 8-8-2024 9-8-2024 10-8-2024 11-8-2024 12-8-2024 13-8-2024 14-8-2024 15-8-2024 16-8-2024 17-8-2024 18-8-2024 19-8-2024 20-8-2024 21-8-2024 22-8-2024 23-8-2024 24-8-2024 25-8-2024 26-8-2024 27-8-2024 28-8-2024 29-8-2024 30-8-2024 31-8-2024 1-9-2024 2-9-2024 3-9-2024 4-9-2024 5-9-2024 6-9-2024

tend to be wrong. So in the case mentioned it suddenly is Naturally the low midday pricing has it’s impact for all

Datacentered

GAS IN STORAGE (TWH)

The benefit for the market still lies with the long term positions from suppliers with LNG suppliers to continental Europe. At this moment the gas storage levels are well above the needed

EU

requirements for Europe giving a great ease in the market.

“

IN THE ENERGY MARKET THE POWER PRICE DRIVER IS STILL GAS, IT CONTROLS THE MARKET WHEN RENEWABLES AREN’T SUFFICIENT.

Germany Germany

Italy

France France

Austria Austria

Ukraine Ukraine

Czech Republic Czech Republic

Poland Poland

Spain Spain

RomaniaRomania

Latvia Latvia

BelgiumBelgium

United Kingdom United Kingdom (Post-Brexit) (Post-Brexit)

BulgariaBulgaria

Croatia Croatia

SwedenSweden EU

EU

Germany

Germany Italy

Italy

France

France

Austria

Austria

Ukraine

UkraineHungary

Hungary

Czech Republic Czech Republic

Poland

Poland

Spain

Spain Slovakia

Slovakia

Romania

Latvia

Latvia

Belgium

Belgium Denmark

Denmark

Bulgaria

Bulgaria Croatia

CroatiaPortugal

Portugal

Romania

United Kingdom United (Post-Brexit) Kingdom (Post-Brexit) Sweden

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EU

Sweden EU

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

France

Austria

Ukraine

Hungary

Czech Republic

Poland

Spain

Slovakia

Romania

Latvia

Belgium

Denmark

United Kingdom (Post-Brexit)

Bulgaria

Croatia

Portugal

Sweden

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Netherlands

Netherlands

Italy

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Energy Market Update

Energy Market Update

Datacentered

The long term contracts have been negotiated when Russian

hold on gas as traders do not feel comfortable yet. This in the

Gas market

the reason why traders are uncomfortable with the current

gas supply was cut off, allowing long term prices to be in

reason why the market reacts strong on any negative news

Why fundamentals have little impact at this time seems

situation. Redraw from this region will allow the market to

backwardation as the expected supply to fill storages have

on gas supply, form pipeline gas (Norway) or LNG.

mainly driven by the fear in the market about what could

settle once again and the weather forecast will by then be

happen in the Middle East and Ukraine. Everybody is aware

the news to watch. Will we once again have short periods of

that an escalation of the Middle East situation will have a

temperature drops or will we experience a strong long winter.

strong impact on oil production and transport, this is widely

If we will go to lower temperature in 2024 against long term

known. The part that is less common to be aware of is the

averages the prices will react bullish in a swift an explosive

locations of the gas connectors towards Europe in the Kursk

manner. As we still are not sure if we will be able to deal with

region that has been taken captive by Ukrainians in the last

a strong winter without Russian gas. On spot we see some

month. As Europe is still getting 10% of it’s gas from Russia

variation but the Cal 2025 has reacted the strongest on the

trough countries like Turkey any disruption will be felt. This is

news mentioned before.

been secured by now. Disruptions however have a strong

POWER FUTURES EUR/MWh

160.00 140.00

GAS FUTURES

120.00

100.00 80.00

EUR/MWh

60.00

70.00

40.00

60.00

20.00

50.00

20.00 10.00

2025

94

2026

95

2027

1-9-2024

1-8-2024

1-7-2024

1-6-2024

1-5-2024

1-4-2024

1-3-2024

1-2-2024

1-1-2024

1-12-2023

1-11-2023

1-10-2023

1-9-2023

1-8-2023

1-7-2023

1-6-2023

1-5-2023

1-4-2023

0.00 1-3-2023

1-9-2024

1-8-2024

1-7-2024

1-6-2024

1-5-2024

30.00

1-2-2023

2027

1-4-2024

1-3-2024

1-2-2024

1-1-2024

1-12-2023

1-11-2023

1-10-2023

2026

40.00

1-1-2023

2025

1-9-2023

1-8-2023

1-7-2023

1-6-2023

1-5-2023

1-4-2023

1-3-2023

1-2-2023

1-1-2023

0.00

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Energy Market Update

Energy Market Update

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Carbon - EUA

legislation. Issues like ETS 2 and gas reduction programs in

Outlook

Conclusions

After the strong drop of EUA’s in March of 2024 the price

many European countries show that the industry has taken

At the moment the fundamentals for the energy market are

It is a new playing field in the energy market and the historic

have been bullish all summer long, strongly correlated with

measures to reduce carbon emissions. At this time we still

bearish, with a good flow of LNG to Europe there should be

prices provide no support for any movement in the current

gas price and uncertainty about next tranches and new

see a lot of movement caused by speculative trading from

a stable market based on that. Key words will be disruptions,

market. Basically Europe has experienced a reset on energy

investors.

liquidity of volumes and escalations. The main issues have

prices and the market is looking for the new price levels that

been resolved on supply to Europe. By having no new

is supported by long term fundamentals and innovation

escalations, transport problems or sabotages the market will

to set the cost of energy with renewables production and

show a sideways movement until the end of the year. Weather

much needed alternatives. It highlights strategic thinking,

predictions on a early winter could result in a market reaction

resilience, and innovation, which are essential for thriving in

that will drive gas prices up and in it’s airstream power. The

a changing commodity market.

EUA EUR/MWh

current backwardation in pricing is something to keep in mind

120.00

for long term hedging decisions and renewable investments.

100.00

“

80.00 60.00 40.00

BY HAVING NO NEW

20.00

ESCALATIONS, TRANSPORT

Spot

2025

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1-9-2024

1-8-2024

1-7-2024

1-6-2024

1-5-2024

1-4-2024

1-3-2024

1-2-2024

1-1-2024

1-12-2023

1-11-2023

1-10-2023

1-9-2023

1-8-2023

1-7-2023

1-6-2023

1-5-2023

1-4-2023

1-3-2023

1-2-2023

1-1-2023

0.00

PROBLEMS OR SABOTAGES THE MARKET WILL SHOW A SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.

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Expert Insights

Expert Insights

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE NIS2 DIRECTIVE?

NATASCHA EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND

Datacentered

In my previous columns I focused on the range of new

crisis management and operational continuity in the event

legislation targeting the data center industry on energy

of a major cyber incident and use of cryptography and

and sustainability. This time focus is on the Network and

encryption.

Information Security Directive (NIS2). NIS2 is designed to help organizations protect themselves against cyber threats

Ensuring supply chain security is also on this list, meaning

and to ensure that the cyber infrastructure within the EU is

that businesses that do not directly fall under NIS2 could be

more secure and robust. NIS2 came into force at EU level

indirectly impacted. There is also a reporting obligation for

on 16 January 2023, and Member States must implement

all organizations that fall under NIS2, consisting of a three

NSI2 into national law by 17 October 2024.

stage process for reporting security incidents to the relevant authorities. An “early warning” must be submitted within

Compared to NIS1, NIS2 broadens the scope of sectors

24 hours, an “incident notification” should be submitted

required to comply. NIS2 addresses medium-sized or

within 72 hours and a “final report” should be submitted

large organizations in specific sectors and introduces an

within one month. This final report should provide a more

extraterritorial reach. In principle NIS2 is not applicable

detailed description of the incident, lessons learned and

to small and micro-enterprises that have fewer than 50

mitigation measures.

employees and an annual turnover of less than 7 million euros, or a balance sheet total of less than 5 million euros.

NIS2 imposes new obligations on management bodies who

Depending on size and sector, NIS2 differentiates between

must have regular training and must oversee implementation

essential organizations and important organizations (where

of the cybersecurity-risk management measures mentioned

previously only a distinction was made between vital

earlier. Top management can be held liable and accountable

organizations that were covered by the NIS and non-vital

for noncompliance with these cybersecurity-risk obligations.

organizations).

Finally, sanctions and administrative fines can be imposed, which should ensure an effective compliance of the rules

The main difference between essential and important

and obligations under NIS2.

organizations relates to the monitoring of compliance with the rules. Essential entities will be actively monitored and

Biography

supervision is proactive. Important entities will only be

Natascha Geraedts is a Partner at Eversheds Sutherland

checked for compliance after an incident. Data centers are

and part of Eversheds’ renowned Global Datacenter and

in scope of NIS2, and it is crucial that data center owners

Digital Infrastructure team. Natascha started her career

and operators (if not done so already) prepare themselves

at the Council of State and has over 20 years’ experience.

to meet the new NIS2 requirements.

Natascha is seen as the “go to expert” in the Dutch market for her knowledge in the data center sector and data center

GERAEDTS

All organizations that fall under NIS2 have to comply with

developments. Natascha frequently speaks and publishes

their duty of care. NIS2 includes a list of cybersecurity-risk

on environmental and regulatory aspects of data centers

management measures that need to be taken into account as

and she has been a yearly speaker at the Kickstart Europe

a minimum, such as maintaining a basic level of digital hygiene

Conference since 2021.

and implementing cyber security education, attention to

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Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Datacentered

STATE OF THE ART Take a look inside Penta Infra’s recently acquired Nexus Data Center in Brussels, which opened its doors in May this year.

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Lifestyle

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Lifestyle

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Lifestyle

Lifestyle

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KEY SPECIFICATIONS • •

7,2 MW IT capacity 3.500 m2 white space

•

Triple certified for sustainability:

•• •• ••

BREEAM Excellent EDGE Advanced Uptime Institute Tier III

• Anchor tenants: •• •• ••

VUB Brussels University UZ Brussel University Hospital VSC Flemish Supercomputer

SUSTAINABILITY • • • • • •

Industry-leading PUE Maximum on-site solar through photovoltaic facade Rainwater harvesting in sub-basement basin Cascaded HVAC: heat reuse, adiabatic, chillers On-campus heat recuperation grid Local smart grid island mode

LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS • • • • •

In the middle of FLAPD markets Within Brussels ringway Located on new technology and innovation campus “Green Energy Park”, which acts as an attractive hub for hi-tech companies Conveniently located with excellent transport links Rich in connectivity options, with major fiber operators redundantly connected

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Event

THERE IS A NEW EVENT IN TOWN Last June, The Belgian Digital Infrastructure Association (BDIA) organized their first major conference to discuss the future of the digital infrastructure market in Belgium.

The most asked question: Can Brussels be the next major data center hub?

Text: Pim Kokke

Brussels must be one of the most interesting cities in Europe due to its geographical position and the presence of the European Parliament.

Moreover, the country is still developing its digital infrastructure with one goal in mind: becoming a serious competitor in the FLAPD market. With this in mind, the Belgian Digital Infrastructure Association (BDIA) organized their first large event named DigitalX for 350+ visitors from all over the Benelux. According to the BDIA, the goal of DigitalX is to strengthen the relationships between the most important stakeholders (e.g., network suppliers, transmission operators, data centers, local and national governments) within the Belgian digital infrastructure.

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Event

Brussels is somewhat on the rise

Multiple BRP (TSO) / Supply Split (DSO)

One of the many presentations was given by industry

✓ Split between flexible and non-flexible assets

veteran Kevin Restivo. As CBRE's European Head of Data

✓ Different contractual schemes

Centre Research Advisory & Transaction Services, he

✓ More degrees of choice in energy services for the consumer

Event

Datacentered

provided an outlook for the data center market in Brussels.

In sum, the market in Brussels exemplifies growth of

Real-Time Price (RTP)

broader European colocation data center market despite

✓ From a penalty to an incentive

considerable difficulties meeting demand.

✓ From a real-time/ex-post calculation to an ex-ante indicator ✓ From a multiple to a single key indicator

Furthermore, CBRE estimated that the total capacity in Brussels is 65 MW (Q4, 2023). In that year, Brussels posted

MPx – Direct Access to Market

exceptional supply growth, almost 140%. However, in

✓ reducing complexity to access the DA/ID markets

2024, this number is lower compared to most secondary

✓ Propagate the real-time price for a full economical

markets such as Madrid, Milan, Oslo, Stockholm and

optimization of a flexible asset over all time horizons

Zurich. Restivo: "Vacancy rates are usually lowest in the

✓ lower financial and infrastructure requirements to

areas where capacity is in greatest demand. Typically,

accommodate smaller portfolios, or even asset level

hyperscaler availability zones reside within those markets."

The next major hub?

Energy: key challenges & opportunities for the grid

In sum, Brussels can become a Tier 2 market in the future.

Another insightful presentation was presented by David

However, this needs further collaboration between the digital

Zenner, Chief Assests Officer at the ELIA Group. In his keynote,

infrastructure industry and federal/local governments. Due

he showed that the demand for electricity is expected to

to the political complexity in Belgium with Flanders and

increase significantly in the coming decade. This effect is

Wallonia, this will be an big challenge for the future.

mainly driven by new electrification in industry, transport and heating. For example, the yearly electricity consumption in 2024 is 82,6 TWh and will increase up to 132,9 TWh in 2035.

However, this creates a challenge for the energy grid as the current market design is centered around Suppliers and Balance responsible parties (BRPs) with inflexible demand.

In 2030, a future-proof energy epicenter which is based around the consumer is needed in order to keep up with the rising demand. Furthermore, Zenner presented three key products to bring financial incentives directly to customers which includes:

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SAVE THE DATE

FEBRUARY

04 & 05

2025 ANNUAL EUROPEAN STRATEGY & NETWORKING SUMMIT 118

EUROPE

AMSTERDAM RAI - FOR MORE INFO VISIT: WWW.KICKSTARTCONF.EU

PLAN. BUILD. RUN. Data centers are more than just buildings with walls and office spaces. You do not witness their presence, but if you think for two seconds they are there for you when you wake up and go to bed. Every glance on your screen. Every message you receive. They connect us. They can make us create things we could not imagine before. So when you drive on the highway to get home, think about how data centers are part of your daily life that you plan, build and run. www.datacentered.net