atNorth to build state-of-the-art data center in Stockholm

Nordic tech company atNorth this week began construction of a new $72 million climate-positive data center in Stockholm Data Parks. The complex will have an IT load of 11.2 MW and will generate excess heat that Stockholm Exergi can use to heat local homes.

The new data center is located in Stockholm Data Parks in Kista, Stockholm's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) district and the second-largest ICT cluster in the world after Silicon Valley. The location provides secure access to robust technical infrastructure and exceptional connectivity, as well as allowing atNorth to supply the city with environmentally friendly district heating.

"By collaborating with a leading energy provider in the area - Stockholm Exergi – the energy in the heat created by servers in our data center is not wasted but utilized in a supply chain that increases energy efficiency for the whole society and reduces wasteful energy usage,“ says CEO Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson.

He describes the Stockholm development as a ‘landmark project’.

“Our goal is to become a world leader in high-performance computing and colocation services," says CEO Kristinsson.

atNorth, previously Advania Data Centers, will construct the 6,400 square-meter data center in seven steps. The first phase is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2021 and the facility will be one of the first data centers in the Nordics built for High Performance Computing (HPC).

“We welcome atNorth to Stockholm Data Parks and are proud that they chose Stockholm as their first data center location outside of Iceland. Also, by reusing the excess heat generated, the data center contributes in a significant way to making Stockholm a leader in sustainability and the transition towards a circular economy,” says Tora Holm, Head of Data Centers at Invest Stockholm, one of the founding partners of Stockholm Data Parks.

Thanks to Stockholm‘s low energy costs, sustainable and reliable energy sources, as well as low-latency connections to Europe, global market leaders like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft have previously invested in multiple data centers in the region.  

“With society growing ever more digital and connected, the role of data centers has become increasingly important for our whole country,” says Tora Holm.

“Large quantities of data are generated, stored and distributed when we use social media, streaming services and online shopping, as well as for new technologies within artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and modern research. Stockholm has kept pace with these technological advances and is in a position to meet all the requirements of modern data centers.”  

Read more here about why Stockholm is a magnet for international data centers.

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