Connecting the world’s greenest data centre Built into the mountains of Stavanger, Norway, in what was formerly a NATO ammunition storage facility, is now one of the world’s most secure and energy-efficient data centres.
PIPES
For site owners, Green Mountain, the transition from the ammunition storage facility to the data centre was not without challenges. They were faced with confined spaces, existing structures and the need to install a reliable piping system to cool the server racks. The site, however, was also not without benefits – not least the cold Norwegian climate to keep data cool at lower costs and the vast supply of hydroelectric power. It has therefore proved to be a sensible investment for Green Mountain CEO, Kristian Gyland. Together with Victaulic, a world leader in mechanical pipe joining systems, and pipe installation contractor, Sig Halvorsen, Gyland overcame the many challenges that the site presented, constructing a truly unique data centre. From storing weapons to storing data The facility was constructed by NATO in 1964, during the height of the Cold War. The site initially spanned across three halls, and, in 1994, was extended to double its storage capacity to house mines and torpedoes. Following the de-escalation of geopolitical tensions, NATO no longer required the facility and decided to sell in 2009. And what NATO no longer needed, became a golden opportunity for Green Mountain’s first data centre.
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“We opened this facility in 2013, with our first three customers. Since then we have continued to expand the site as we’ve grown. Today, we are covering 22.000 km² under the mountain and expect to reach full site capacity in 2023,” said Gyland. Secure and sustainable in Stavanger When they learned of the location, it was obvious to Green Mountain that the site offered several opportunities that were too good to pass up. Although the construction design would be challenging, the business potential was there. In the data centre industry, storing data in a secure environment is of utmost importance. Green Mountain had a vision that if a mountain could keep NATO’s weapons secure, then it could also keep data secure; and they were right. According to Gyland, the Stavanger site is one of the most secure data centres in the world. A feature which can be largely attributed to the centre’s location within the mountain. As well as being secure, the Stavanger site is located within proximity to the fjord, home to one of Europe’s lowestpriced sources of hydroelectric power. The data centre could therefore operate at lower costs, as well as with a sustainable power source.
