While recent reports have suggested a lull in new datacenter projects in the Amsterdam area during Q1 of 2024, investments and expansions made by Switch Datacenters show the opposite. Demand for datacenter services outpaces supply by a considerable margin in the region. By closely aligning the needs in power capacity, density and sustainability of both clients and the local community, Switch Datacenters has shown considerable capacity to expand. On top of the newly opened facility, Switch Datacenters has over 200MW of new capacity in and around Amsterdam in current development. By adding this capacity. Switch Datacenters will be one of the largest wholesale players in Amsterdam, the third largest datacenter market in EMEA.
Key Features of AMS4
AMS4 is built on the foundation of an existing logistics building at Amsterdam Science Park. Doing so has allowed Switch Datacenters to achieve an impressive construction timeline of just 22 months, while reducing Scope 3 emissions by approximately 50%. Some of the major features include:
Modular Design: The layout of AMS 4 is highly modular, creating a scalable and adaptable environment that allows for technological advances as they appear.
Efficient Cooling: The close loop cooling system of the facility minimizes water consumption and increases efficiency.
Robust Infrastructure: AMS4 ensures reliable performance through its design incorporating best practices as demanded by the most advanced IT companies for their technology and AI use.
Green Heat Reuse: AMS4 runs on 100% green power and employs heat capture technology. The fossil-free generated heat is aimed to be delivered to a new heat municipal heat grid in the municipality of Diemen for potentially thousands of households.
A Blueprint for the Future
“Our new datacenter sets a new standard for sustainability in the industry by redeveloping existing industrial buildings and being designed for heat delivery to the local community,” Gregor Snip, CEO of Switch Datacenters, said. “By reusing an existing building, we have been able to build faster, more sustainable and improved our own time record from build to operate a high-end datacenter to under 22 months. AMS4 exemplifies our dedication to making datacenters more environmentally friendly. Working together with local stakeholders from the start, we have delivered top performance to our customers. At the same time we are contributing to local and national needs in terms of moving away from fossil fuels and delivering excess heat for use by domestic units.”
AMS 4 is fully operational and services a diverse group of clients, including a top 5 cloud provider and one of the leading apps in the world. It will also serve as the home of the IT infrastructure of several high-end Dutch end-customers that need to physically keep their data within the Netherlands.