Ballangen, Norway, located about 140 miles north of the Arctic Circle, will be home to the largest data center in the world when it completes construction in 2018. Ballangen was selected because of Norway’s abundance of green energy, cool climate, large technical workforce, and its access to international high-performance fiber in neighboring Sweden. The site’s secure, moated property was also a deciding factor in selecting Ballangen, according to Kolos, the American and Norwegian company behind the data center.
The green facility is within 25 kilometers of a huge amount of excess hydropower that will allow the data center to scale up to two gigawatts of consumable renewable power, which is more than any other data center location in the world. The use of wind energy will also help the facility achieve its goal of being powered by 100% sustainable energy.
Rendering courtesy of HDR.
The 600,000-sm, climate-cooled Kolos facility will be powered by hydropower and will scale beyond 1,000 megawatts of computing power. High-speed traffic to continental Europe and as far off as the United States’ east coast will be routed from the Kolos node through the Swedish high-performance fiber.
HDR designed the four-story data center along a central spine with the building forms arranged to mimic a glacier’s movement as it displaces swaths of land. At the base of the spine are modules, or data halls, that are secure, scalable, and connected. At the terminus on the water, the spine becomes a public space clad in copper and acts as the gateway to the public waterfront promenade. HDR says the alluvial fans, glaciers, and mountains that surround the site inspired the design of the overall data center.
Related Stories
Data Centers | Oct 1, 2024
10 biggest impacts to the data center market in 2024–2025
While AI sends the data center market into the stratosphere, the sector’s accelerated growth remains impacted by speed-to-market demands, supply chain issues, and design innovation necessities.
Data Centers | Sep 2, 2024
Data center demand continues its feverish growth rate
But JLL’s latest market report worries that the sector is outpacing its manpower and electricity capacities.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 21, 2024
Nation's leading multifamily developer expands into infrastructure
Greystar's strategy for infrastructure is driven by the shifting landscape of today's cities—primarily in the increased digitization, urbanization, and transitions to clean energy.
Data Centers | Aug 8, 2024
Global edge data center market to cross $300 billion by 2026, says JLL
Technological megatrends, including IoT and generative AI, will require computing power to be closer to data generation and consumption, fueling growth of edge IT infrastructure, according to a new JLL report.
Construction Costs | Jul 18, 2024
Data center construction costs for 2024
Gordian’s data features more than 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers.
Data Centers | Feb 28, 2024
What’s next for data center design in 2024
Nuclear power, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and data centers as learning destinations are among the emerging design trends in the data center sector, according to Scott Hays, Sector Leader, Sustainable Design, with HED.
Data Centers | Feb 1, 2024
Gen AI will drive data center growth, says latest JLL sector report
Power access is pushing developers toward alternative sources and secondary markets.
Data Centers | Nov 22, 2023
How is artificial intelligence impacting data center design?
As AI is reshaping how we interact with machines and the world around us, the design of data centers needs to adapt to this fast-changing landscape. So, Page pairs expert thinking with high-performing solutions to meet the needs of rapidly advancing technologies.
Data Centers | Nov 13, 2023
Data center sector trends for 2023-2024
Demand for more data centers is soaring, but delivery can be stymied by supply delays, manpower shortages, and NIMBYism.
Giants 400 | Oct 2, 2023
Top 50 Data Center Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, Holder Construction, HITT Contracting, DPR Construction, and Fortis Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest data center sector contractors and construction management firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
