Data centres help climate transition

With the rise of artificial intelligence, 5G and cloud computing, data centres play a crucial role in this ecosystem. Friso Haringsma, the CEO of DataCenter United, explains that data centres can also operate in a sustainable way, because there are quite a few misconceptions about that, he explains.

Data centres, together with fibre-optic networks, are the foundation of the new digital economy. There are many different types of data centres. The local parties like DataCenter United mainly work with local companies as customers and are not commensurate with the hyperscalers. 'For example, we do not own the server infrastructure. Customers rent a space that meets a number of requirements in terms of security, power supply and climate control. That space will be filled with proprietary equipment, ranging from hardware to software'. DataCenter United now has 16 data centres in 13 locations, used by both governments and businesses.

Data centres have three functions: connecting networks and data from point A to point B, the second is storing data for the end user and three is processing the data. Everything digital runs in a data centre. 'For the customer, it is an advantage to work this way because the customer does not have to include the data centre on its balance sheet and depreciate it, it is an operational cost due to economies of scale in terms of energy management and organisation. In a data centre, fulfilling the connectivity need in terms of options and bandwidth, more is possible at a more affordable price compared to a local IT room.’

Certifications

Haringsma argues that data centres are subject to laws and regulations. 'I think the industry is pretty good at assessing that. The ISO standard is important here for dealing with people and processes. Also consider waste management and energy management. Payment data security is also important. There are also fringe certifications, such as SAS, where there is a general audit of departments. Finally, you also have industry-specific certifications and regulations at European level, such as the DORA directive on compliance. The government is monitoring the sector to keep track of everything.'

Sustainability

In terms of sustainability, there are quite a few misconceptions about data centres, particularly that they would be very data-hungry. Haringsma nuances: 'It is similar to logistics. You cannot compare a goods train with trucks on the track. The same reasoning applies here. There are big differences between different data centres. You have pretty big shades there. Hyperscalers, like the Amazons and Microsofts of this world, are fully integrated of server, applications and software. The comparison with players like us is often hard to make. We mostly bet on the local customer. Our biggest cost is energy. That is why we are working on it a lot and looking for ways to save energy. Obviously, a data centre now uses energy, but we are fully in line with everything coming from Europe, such as electrification. We try to reduce energy inefficiency and capture our heat production to heat homes and the like. Think of heat grids or industrial processes. So the data centre in itself has great added value and they help to help the climate goals. That there is ignorance about these things has to do with the fact that it is not government-owned and therefore not controlled from the government. Besides the economic benefit, generators and batteries can start to be used on the grid to balance production and off-take differences. Dealing with our resources has always been a concern, and with local players this plays more of a role than with the big boys,' Haringsma concludes.