Member of Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact
In a significant stride towards a sustainable future, AQ Compute proudly announces its membership in the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, a visionary commitment supported by the European Commission and Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal.
This pact, endorsed by over 100 data centre operators and trade associations, stands as a collective pledge to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, aligning with the broader goals of the European Green Deal aiming for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.
Commitment to sustainability:
AQ Compute joins industry leaders in the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, solidifying its commitment to crucial areas such as:
Energy efficiency:
- By January 1, 2025, new data centres in cool climates commit to an annual PUE target of 1.3, and 1.4 for those in warm climates, operating at full capacity.
- Existing data centres will meet these targets by January 1, 2030.
- Targets apply to all data centres with a maximum IT power demand exceeding 50KW.
Clean energy:
- Data centres commit to matching their electricity supply with clean energy.
- By December 31, 2025, 75% of electricity demand will be met by renewable energy or hourly carbon-free energy, reaching 100% by December 31, 2030.
Water conservation:
- By January 1, 2025, new data centres in cool climates using potable water will target a maximum WUE of 0.4 L/kWh in water-stressed areas.
- WUE limits can be adjusted based on climate, stress, and water type to encourage sustainable water sources for cooling.
- Existing data centres replacing a cooling system must meet the WUE target by December 31, 2040.
Circular economy:
- Data centres prioritize the reuse, repair, and recycling of servers, electrical equipment, and related components.
- Aiming for 100% reuse, repair, or recycling of used server equipment.
- Setting target percentages for repair and reuse by 2025.
Circular energy system:
- Data centre operators explore opportunities to reuse captured heat from new data centres in district heating systems and other users of heat.
Governance:
- Representatives from data centre trade associations, signatory companies, and the European Commission will meet biannually to review the initiative’s status.
- Signatories will certify adherence by July 1, 2023, with adherence reported every four years.
Take a look into the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact to see the pact operators involved in this transformative journey towards a sustainable future.
AQ Compute’s commitment to these actions signifies its dedication to leading sustainable data centre practices. By participating in the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, AQ Compute plays a pivotal role in shaping a resilient and environmentally responsible digital infrastructure for Europe’s future.
Membership with CleanHub
We are protecting our oceans from plastic waste.
We have one planet for all time. A planet growing more connected day by day. We have the responsibility to take care of it, for us and for future generations. Our higher goal is to protect our planet by taking action with our commitment towards green data centres.
We want to take care of people and the planet.
We are on a journey. This commitment towards cleaner oceans is one concrete step within our journey.
1) The CleanHub initiative is part of the ESG concept of AQ Compute
We aim to show loyalty to our planet. Our ESG strategy is mainly based on a path to reach Net Zero within the next years to tackle the main challenges that today’s world is facing around energy, emissions, water, and waste. Our holistic sustainability concept encompasses the sustainable life cycle of our data centres. We will prioritise waste reduction and are committed to using non scarce materials, such as rare earth metals, responsibly. To achieve this, we strive to maximise the utilisation of recycled and recyclable materials, and we will employ material passports to ensure traceability and accountability throughout our projects. Our goal is to minimise diversion rates and promote circularity in all our endeavors. Besides this, we also aim to address the social aspect, more specifically the “S” inside the ESG. We take responsibility for following aspects such as occupational health and safety, diversity and social commitment worldwide. We try to maximise positive effects for the society and environment.
2) We compensate for the plastic we use in our data centres.
It is all about awareness. We all need to act urgently.
… and we start with AQ-OSL1: our first data centre is going to be live at the beginning of 2024.
Our ESG strategy is mainly based on a path to reach Net Zero within the next years to tackle the main challenges that today’s world is facing around energy, emissions, water and waste.
On waste prevention: in our data centres, we are committed to minimising the amount of plastic used to the bare minimum and to recycling the plastic that cannot be avoided in our data centres.
Thank you CleanHub for your great work.
We are proud to be part of it.
For more information please visit our livetracker.
[Status: 09, 2023]
Andreas Myr CEO, AQ Compute Norway
We are pleased to announce Andreas Myr as the CEO of AQ Compute Norway
With over 19 years of experience in the data centre industry, Andreas Myr brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to AQ Compute. Prior to joining the company, Andreas Myr worked at Orange Business Services AS as Vice President for Datacenter Services, where he was responsible for the construction, sales and marketing of data centre services.
In his new position, Andreas Myr will focus on several key areas to further develop the colocation market in line with AQ Compute’s mission to provide modular, carbon-neutral data centre capacities and colocation services. He will lead the construction of AQ-OSL1 in Norway and ensure that the company builds the most sustainable data centre in the region. In addition, Andreas Myr will be responsible for developing and negotiating partner agreements and fostering strong collaborations to strengthen the company’s market position.
Please read the official press release in English and Norwegian.
Henry Daunert CEO, AQ Compute
We are pleased to announce Henry Daunert as the new CEO of AQ Compute
With immediate effect: Henry Daunert, the former CEO of OnValue, has previously served AQ Compute as Executive Vice President to support the development of a portfolio of Net Zero data centres in EMEA. Henry Daunert has a proven track record in the data centre industry since 1993 and due to his large network across Europe he is ideally positioned to lead AQ Compute’s further expansion.
In light of this new corporate structure, our previous CEO, Petter M. Tømmeraas, has decided to leave AQ Compute to pursue other opportunities outside of the company. He will stay on as a Special Advisor to the Board and CEO until the end of the year. We thank him for his valuable contribution in growing the company.
Please read the official press release to get more information of the new structure and the integration of the OnValue team.
AQ-OSL1: advanced stages of construction
AQ Compute’s maiden facility, AQ-OSL1, is currently in the advanced stages of construction and is expected to be operational from the beginning of 2024.
Situated in Hønefoss, near Oslo and Norway’s largest international airport, AQ-OSL1 offers unparralelled accessiblity and boasts high power availability, confirming 25 MW of available power with ample and flexible room for expansion to suit client demands up to 40 MW.
AQ-OSL1 will open its doors initially with 5 MW of HPC-ready colocation space, supporting applications of over 100 KW per rack in an air cooled environment. AQ Compute is currently taking capacity reservations for the Hønefoss site.
Please contact us to register your interest and be part of the transition to a Net Zero industry.
New Sustainability and ESG forum at Platform Global
AQ Compute has been announced as Headline Partner for the new Sustainability and ESG Forum taking place at Platform Markets Group Platform Global in Antibes September 3-5, 2023.
With a razor-sharp focus on the key issues confronting digital infrastructure, digital resiliency and digital transformation journeys, the half-day event will be open to all interested delegates.
The event will seek to provide the route to Net Zero emissions in data centres, the enterprise quest for sustainability, policy and ESG. The event shall discuss how reasonable public policy can influence sustainability, an integrated approach to sustainability of end-to-end digital infrastructure and action now to mitigate carbon emissions in digital infrastructure.
“Our vision is to lead in decarbonising the colocation and data centre industry,” commented Henry Daunert, EVP, AQ Compute. “Our mission is to provide modular, carbon-neutral data centre capacities across Europe, powered by renewable energy sources, following green building standards, recovering and recycling the energy and compensating for each MW used with another MW of renewable energy – enabling our clients to reduce their carbon footprints.”
Based on feedback from 2022, delegates rated the Platform event and programme as exceptional with leading speakers, curated content as well as the enormous benefit of high-end networking. Delegates preferred this event too because of its ease of access among those attending enabling very specific targeting and hosted in the secluded and incomparable French Riviera resort of Antibes/Juan-les-Pins on the edge of the Mediterranean yet located only 23km from the facilities of Nice International Airport.
The registration is open: https://lnkd.in/erM4GVsC
We are looking forward to seeing you in Antibes.
ZDF Planet e. visit in Norway
planet e.: Energiefresser Cloud & Co.
We had the honor of a visit from the ZDF Planet e. team in Norway.
Video platforms, gaming, and cloud computing have huge and steadily growing energy requirements. The rise of digitisation poses a threat to climate protection efforts.
While it brings many benefits, it also threatens to become a brake on climate protection. We cannot afford to ignore the impact of data centres on our planet, especially as their energy demands continue to increase. Data centres have a responsibility to become greener in the future. We need to find innovative solutions to reduce their carbon footprint and ensure that they operate in an environmentally sustainable manner. At AQ Compute, we are committed to this cause and are constantly exploring new ways to make our data centres more energy-efficient. We believe that it is our responsibility to lead the way in creating a greener and more sustainable future for all.
Planet e.’ explores the question of how much cloud computing, streaming, and other digital activities contribute to climate change, and presents solutions for making them more environmentally friendly. We would like to express our appreciation to the team from ZDF Planet e. for visiting us in Norway. It was an honor to have the opportunity to share our vision and our progress with you.
If you are interested in learning more about the Norway trip of ZDF planet e. please visit:
[external link]
Energiefresser Cloud & Co. – makro vom 21.03.2023 – 3sat-Mediathek
planet e.: Energiefresser Cloud & Co. – ZDFmediathek
Andreas Myr VP Sales Nordics, AQ Compute
We are delighted to have welcomed Andreas Myr as the Vice President Sales Nordics for the AQ Compute Team.
Andreas Myr will be responsible for initiating and developing new business opportunities in Scandinavian countries and driving the expansion of AQ Compute in Northern Europe.
With over 19 years of experience in the data centre industry, Andreas Myr brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to AQ Compute.
Welcome to the team!
Find out more in our press release.
AQ Compute in a nutshell
Our newest clip about AQ Compute in a nutshell will give an overview of our green story, and our upcoming sites in Norway and Spain. Enjoy watching on YouTube or Vimeo.
Our mission is to provide modular, carbon-neutral data centre capacities across Europe, powered by renewable energy sources, following green building standards and reusing the excess heat – enabling our clients to reduce their carbon footprints.
AQ-OSL1: The first facility is currently under construction, close to Oslo and Norway’s largest international airport.
The first phase of this facility will be 5 MW colocation, prepared for air cooling, with the potential to support high-density racks for HPC. The power supply potential is up to 40 MW in the site area.
AQ-BCN 1: our second facility is currently under construction in Barcelona, centrally located in a data centre hub (Parc de l’Alba) in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
The data centre will be a 50 MW colocation facility, prepared with the potential to support high-density racks for HPC. Supplied with 100% renewable energy, the data centre will satisfy the needs of hyperscalers, large enterprises and other organisations that require extensive computing capacity.
Enjoy watching our clip on YouTube or Vimeo.
New Years Message from Petter M. Tømmeraas
Happy New Year!
Our CEO Petter M. Tømmeraas has a New Year’s message for the start of 2023.
As we start a new year, we believe it’s important to remember the role that data centres play in our daily lives and the opportunity we have to make them more sustainable.
In 2023 we aim to contribute to Aquila Capital’s long standing sustainability strategy by putting people, planet at the core of what we do.
Our goal is to follow the UN Sustainable Development Goals in all our activities.
We are looking forward to a productive and successful year ahead.
