Mar 30, 2023 | Posted by MadalineDunn
HOCHTIEF and infrastructure investor Palladio Partners have announced they have partnered to jointly build and operate a sustainable data center in Heiligenhaus, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Work on the 9,000-square-meter site in the Heiligenhaus Innovation Park is to commence this year, with the high-tech YEXIO facility set to be completed by the end of 2024.
The facility will reportedly have a strong sustainability focus, constructed in alignment with high energy efficiency standards; likewise, it will use "innovative" water cooling, incorporate locally generated renewable energies, and integrate circular economy principles with waste heat re-used.
Further, a three-digit million sum will be invested by the consortium across the next few years for decentralized and sustainable "EDGE" data centers located in economic metropolitan areas.
Dr. Heribert Bodarwé, HOCHTIEF Managing Director of the project company, explained that YEXIO fills a "major gap" in the market. "The demand for sustainably operating EDGE data centers is very high, especially in Germany. They are the basic infrastructure for many new technologies and applications. The importance of cloud computing also continues to grow, as more and more companies want to convert their IT to it while processing and storing data in the region," he said.
Andreas Sauerwein, Technical Councillor of the City of Heiligenhaus and Managing Director of Stadt- und Bodenentwicklungsgesellschaft Heiligenhaus mbH, outlined: "The innovative and sustainable business model and the realization of the first YEXIO data center in the Innovation Park are an ideal fit with our location strategy and climate protection agenda." Sauerwein explained that the lighthouse project provides an opportunity to implement sustainable energy concepts and synergies in urban development directly and with "strong partners." "In view of the challenges of the digital transformation for medium-sized businesses, the data center is of central importance as a location factor" he added.
Bernd Kreuter, Managing Partner at Palladio, said: "Long-term capital from German pension funds is being invested here sensibly in sustainable digital infrastructure - and thus in the transformation of our economy and the future viability of Germany as a business location. Together, we are realizing data centers at a completely new economic and ecological level".
The facility will reportedly have a strong sustainability focus, constructed in alignment with high energy efficiency standards; likewise, it will use "innovative" water cooling, incorporate locally generated renewable energies, and integrate circular economy principles with waste heat re-used.
Further, a three-digit million sum will be invested by the consortium across the next few years for decentralized and sustainable "EDGE" data centers located in economic metropolitan areas.
Dr. Heribert Bodarwé, HOCHTIEF Managing Director of the project company, explained that YEXIO fills a "major gap" in the market. "The demand for sustainably operating EDGE data centers is very high, especially in Germany. They are the basic infrastructure for many new technologies and applications. The importance of cloud computing also continues to grow, as more and more companies want to convert their IT to it while processing and storing data in the region," he said.
Andreas Sauerwein, Technical Councillor of the City of Heiligenhaus and Managing Director of Stadt- und Bodenentwicklungsgesellschaft Heiligenhaus mbH, outlined: "The innovative and sustainable business model and the realization of the first YEXIO data center in the Innovation Park are an ideal fit with our location strategy and climate protection agenda." Sauerwein explained that the lighthouse project provides an opportunity to implement sustainable energy concepts and synergies in urban development directly and with "strong partners." "In view of the challenges of the digital transformation for medium-sized businesses, the data center is of central importance as a location factor" he added.
Bernd Kreuter, Managing Partner at Palladio, said: "Long-term capital from German pension funds is being invested here sensibly in sustainable digital infrastructure - and thus in the transformation of our economy and the future viability of Germany as a business location. Together, we are realizing data centers at a completely new economic and ecological level".
