The building of Kao Data’s second Harlow colocation data center in the United Kingdom, KLON-02, with a capacity of 10MW is now completed, commissioned, and operating. Kao Data is a specialized developer and operator of data centers built for AI and advanced computing. With space for up to 1800 racks of GPU-powered IT equipment (ITE) spread across four Technology Suites, Kao Data’s second Harlow, UK data center adds 3,400m2 of high-density, scalable technical space to its data center portfolio.
In addition to solidifying Kao Data’s position as one of the leading hubs for advanced computing in the UK, the new 10 MW NVIDIA DGX Ready data center is a significant step forward in the company’s ongoing development of its high performance infrastructure platform. It was designed and constructed to the highest standards of sustainability and efficiency.
This expansion comes after the company’s customer portfolio, which includes businesses operating in the AI, financial services, cloud, and life sciences, saw significant growth.
The new colocation data center will continue to implement the hyperscale-inspired, OCP-Ready architectural plan developed by Kao Data, giving clients a “secure, scalable, and sustainable” environment in which to house their mission-critical workloads. Businesses may completely customize their installations within the colocation data center, using the campus’s connectivity and quick on-ramps into all major cloud providers as well as adding liquid-cooled gear as needed.
Sustainability: BREEAM
“Driven by AI, rack and power densities are increasing, so it's critical that data centers can accommodate the latest breakthroughs in GPU-powered computing,” said Paul Finch, CTO at Kao Data.KLON-02 has been engineered to achieve the highest standards of sustainability, having been certified as meeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ criteria. It is powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and 100% certified renewable energy, reducing 90% of the net CO2 emissions from its backup power generators. This approach would enable the company to assist its customers in directly reducing the scope 3 emissions related to their compute.
David Bloom, Chairman of Kao Data, stated, "This marks a significant step forward in Kao Data's journey, and it's rewarding to see our vision for the Harlow campus further evolving. It's critical that the UK government's aspirations to lead the world in AI and research be matched by top-notch infrastructure that can handle sophisticated workloads, as the data center industry approaches a critical turning point. We think Kao Data will continue to be crucial to UK computing via the continuous expansion of our high performance data center offering and our passion for technological excellence."
"Driven by AI, rack and power densities are increasing at an unprecedented rate, so it's critical that the data centers of the future can accommodate the latest breakthroughs in GPU-powered computing and are ready to embrace the benefits of liquid cooling," said Paul Finch, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Kao Data. "By pushing the boundaries of our original design envelope, and embracing a culture of continuous innovation, KLON-02 sets a new standard for industrial-scale data centers, and one which will directly help our customers reduce the environmental impact of their workloads."
