Societal Core: The Next Wave of Data Centers Revolutionizing AI Infrastructure
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, the importance of responsible data center partners cannot be overstated. These partners are tasked with creating sustainable, resilient, and efficient data center operations that align with clean energy goals, promote community integration, and ensure long-term sustainability for the digital industries.
One such responsible partner is atNorth, a company that prides itself on hiring locally and providing excellent employment opportunities throughout the building, operational, and development stages.
A key factor for a responsible data center partner is the careful alignment of location and design choices with clean energy goals. AtNorth, for instance, requires data centers to disclose their clean energy plans at the interconnection application stage. This includes on-site renewable generation, energy storage, and demand management capabilities. The company prioritizes data centers that demonstrate robust clean energy plans to minimize system costs and promote grid reliability. AtNorth also maintains accountability through clear reporting guidelines to ensure that data centers fulfill their commitments on renewables, storage, and demand management.
The complexity of data center construction is managed effectively by atNorth, involving multiple specialist contractors. The company ensures robust interface and coordination management across contractors to reduce risks such as delays or integration errors. Digital project management tools and regular coordination meetings are used to keep all parties aligned.
Decarbonization partnerships are another crucial aspect for atNorth. The company engages with utilities and other stakeholders to develop incentives, prioritization, and support mechanisms for clean energy integration in data center operations. AtNorth supports voluntary green pricing or renewable energy credit programs to ease impacts on the grid and accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy sources.
Collaboration and engagement are essential for atNorth, with the company taking proactive responsibility for public interaction and regulatory compliance. AtNorth collaborates with expert consultants and regulators throughout the data center lifecycle to address energy supply, efficiency, water quality, climate risks, and sustainability goals. The company fosters partnerships that align data center development with broader infrastructure and climate action plans to future-proof operations while supporting environmental stewardship.
The presence of data centers can have a positive impact on the local economy, promoting investment in connectivity and telecommunications networks. For example, atNorth's ICE03 data center in Akureyri, Iceland, facilitated a new point of presence (POP) for telecommunications business Farice.
Data centers, particularly large hyperscale ones for AI and High Performance Computing (HPC), require significant power. A 100 MW data center, for instance, has an annual electricity consumption equivalent to the electricity demand from around 350,000 to 400,000 electric cars. AtNorth addresses this challenge by collaborating with partners like Wa3rm to reuse excess heat from its DEN02 data center in Denmark for growing vegetables.
AtNorth also promotes a data center 'ecosystem' philosophy, considering the natural environment and community engagement for sustainable data center development. The company supports community, education, and charitable initiatives to foster integration and support from local people and businesses.
A modular design for data centers allows for adaptation to changing hardware and cooling technologies and the potential use of more sustainable materials like cross-laminated wood products. This design approach also facilitates quick building and scaling of AI-ready data centers.
Data centers that show a commitment to environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and community integration are essential for the long-term sustainability of digital industries and our planet. The location and design of a data center are crucial for its scalability and sustainability, with AI-ready data centers often built and scaled quickly and requiring available land.
The International Energy Agency reports that traditional enterprise data centers might have a power requirement of 5-10 megawatts (MW). The EU's CSRD legislation requires mandatory carbon footprint disclosures for data-intensive companies, while the EU's InvestAI initiative and the $500bn Stargate project in the US are set to fuel demand for high-performance data centers.
AtNorth aligns with globally recognized standards of sustainability by participating in the United Nation's Global Compact. The company also joins industry associations or organizations such as the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact to fuel research and development of new processes and technologies for the benefit of the industry as a whole.
In the Nordic region, with its abundance of natural and renewable energy, cool climate, and excellent connectivity, data center development is ideally suited. Data center operators can support local power infrastructure and ensure sustainability of power long term for the benefit of local communities by incorporating grid balancing services and backup battery systems.
In conclusion, the role of responsible data center partners like atNorth is paramount in creating a sustainable, efficient, and resilient digital infrastructure. These partners prioritize clean energy, coordinate construction processes, pursue decarbonization through partnerships, and maintain transparent collaboration and accountability with regulators, utilities, and the community. The demand for high-performance digital infrastructure continues to increase, and with it, the need for responsible partners committed to the long-term sustainability of digital industries and our planet.
- AtNorth, a responsible data center partner, prioritizes robust clean energy plans to minimize costs and promote grid reliability.
- The complexities of data center construction are managed effectively by atNorth, involving multiple specialist contractors and digital project management tools.
- Decarbonization partnerships are crucial for atNorth, as the company engages with utilities and other stakeholders to develop incentives for clean energy integration in data center operations.
- AtNorth's ICE03 data center in Akureyri, Iceland, has facilitated investments in connectivity and telecommunications networks for nearby businesses.
- Data centers like the one operated by atNorth are essential for the long-term sustainability of digital industries and our planet, especially in regions with abundant renewable energy, like the Nordic region.
