World Oceans Day
One Ocean,
One Climate,
One Future – Together
World Ocean Day is an international day that takes place annually on 8th of June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Center for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Ocean Project started global coordination of World Ocean Day starting in 2002. “World Oceans Day” was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2008. The international day supports the implementation of worldwide Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fosters public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources.
At AQ Compute we are supporting this important day for our oceans, our natural environment and our world – together with CleanHub. We will be sponsoring a clean-up of a beach in Ambon, Indonesia, organised by CleanHub.
Nomination on Green Colocation by Datacenter-Insider
We have been nomindated for the Green Colocation award by DataCenter-Insider!
At AQ Compute, we take pride in our sustainability-first approach to data center development. Our stems of sustainability are rooted in the legacy of our parent company, Aquila Group, which started to focus on climate change mitigation in 2007.
When building data centers suited for ultra high density AI workloads we face several challenges and opportunities to innovate, and we have been able to create a design that is built around sustianable delivery of these dense workload requirements. Having delivered our first 100% pre-let 6MW facility earlier this year, we’re excited to walk the talk and demonstrate how we take action toward our ambitious sustianability objectives.
With thanks for DataCenter-Insider for the wonderful nomination.
Please vote for us: Willkommen beim Datacenter-Insider AWARD 2024
Podcast: Greening data centers
The data center industry is known to be a power guzzler and is estimated to consume up to 2-3% of the world’s energy supply, although accurate estimates are hard to come by. How can data centers maximize sustainable performance and minimize environmental impact while providing enough capacity to meet rapidly growing global data demands?
While there are no linear formulas to address these challenges, there are many steps we can take together as an industry, and more importantly as people, to ensure that our actions are sustainable and considerate of our planet.
Using clean and renewable energy through highly efficient infrastructure is a great solution to reducing carbon pollution.
Stefanie Casall, our Director for Brand and Marketing, talks to Ciaran Flanagan, Global Head of Data Centers at Siemens, on the LCP Delta – Talking New Energy podcast, now available on Apple podcasts: Talking New Energy: Greening data centres on Apple Podcasts
Thank you for the invitation, the very interesting connections and talks.
AQ-OSL1: Pioneering sustainable AI infrastructure
AQ Compute launches maiden data center in Hønefoss, Norway, pioneering sustainable AI infrastructure
Partnership with NexGen Cloud marks milestone in decarbonizing the IT sector
We are proud to announce the completion of our first facility, AQ-OSL1, in Hønefoss near Oslo, Norway.
Our approach to data center design includes a strong focus on sustainability, with AQ-OSL1 carefully designed as an AI-enabled data center facility. The center’s infrastructure is designed to support the most demanding AI workloads while maintaining the highest standards for energy efficiency and environmental protection.
In a landmark partnership that signals our shared commitment to decarbonizing the IT sector, we have joined forces with NexGen Cloud, a pioneering provider of sustainable GPU Cloud and Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions. Together, we are leading the transition to a net-zero AI supercloud by leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive innovation while minimizing carbon footprint.
NexGen Cloud’s choice of AQ-OSL1 highlights the data center’s capabilities with an initial allocation of 6 MW of AI capacity. This collaboration not only drives the development of AI infrastructure in Europe, but also sets a precedent for sustainable practices within the data center industry.
Henry Daunert, CEO of AQ Compute, expressed his excitement about the potential of the collaboration: “Our partnership with NexGen Cloud is an example of our shared vision of using technology for positive environmental impact. By combining our expertise in sustainable data center solutions with NexGen Cloud’s innovative AI capabilities, we are able to drive significant change in the IT landscape.”
The launch of AQ-OSL1 is an important milestone in our mission to pave the way to a greener and more sustainable future for the data center sector. With the increasing demand for AI computing, initiatives like this underline the importance of combining technological innovation with environmental responsibility to pave the way for a better and more sustainable future.
Please read the entire press release:
in English, in German, in Spanish, and in Norwegian.
Please read more about the news on NexGen Cloud’s website:
https://www.nexgencloud.com/news/nexgen-cloud-and-aq-compute-advance-towards-net-zero-ai-supercloud
https://www.hyperstack.cloud/blog/company-news/nexgen-cloud-and-aq-compute-advance-towards-net-zero-ai-supercloud
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]
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
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.
