Why Schneider Electric is partnering with IXAfrica for data centre

• IXAfrica Data Centres has launched East Africa’s first and largest hyperscale AI-ready Data Centre in Nairobi to attract global hypercloud customers.
• ·Schneider Electric is supporting the launch by providing a highly resilient power train that includes transformers, MV and LV switchgear
• EcoStruxure for Data Centers ensures maximum resilience and dependability, cost and resource efficiency, scalability, and sustainability.

 Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

Nairobi, Kenya, July 11th, 2024—Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has partnered with Nairobi-based IXAfrica Data Centres to launch East Africa’s first and largest hyper-cloud data centre. The power train for the new Tier 3+ facility is built around Schneider Electric MV and LV switchgear to ensure stable and reliable cloud services renewably powered by Kenya’s grid.

Nicknamed ‘NBOX1’, the new development is now open and ready for business as a carrier-neutral, AI-ready data centre - the largest and most technologically advanced digital habitat for cloud, colocation and connectivity in East Africa. It is designed to attract hyperscale and internet customers to the region’s largest data hub, delivering a customer and user experience comparable to North American and Western European facilities.

Underpinning the launch of NBOX1 is Schneider Electric’s proven EcoStruxure for Data Centers architecture and solutions. These provide the new data centre with maximum resilience, uptime and cost efficiency, enhanced security, and the ability to meet IXAfrica’s sustainability goals.

Schneider Electric strikes partnership for Kenya's first data centre Credit: Picture alliance
Source: Getty Images

A Natural Digital Habitat for Innovation

Backed by a $50m capital investment from leading investment firm Helios, IXAfrica’s new data centre is positioned amid Africa’s growing technology epicentre, the so-called ‘Digital Savannah’ – serves a population of over 300 million and supports an ecosystem for innovation which includes a skilled workforce, cloud and content providers, and colocation and connectivity services.

“Kenya,” says Snehar Shah, CEO of IXAfrica, “is a hypercloud-ready region with advanced cloud adoption propensities, a digitally savvy ecosystem, access to diverse internet fibre connectivity, high-availability and low-carbon sources of power. This all sits within a country offering a stable regulatory and political environment, and a strong economy forecast to grow 5.2% in 2024.”

Schneider Solutions Guarantee 99.999% Uptime

An essential customer requirement for this significant new campus data centre development is to ensure ongoing and dependable IT operations. To ensure power quality and reliability, IXAfrica turned to Schneider Electric to provide the power train solution, including power protection and distribution equipment, transformers, MV and LV switchgear, and a basic BMS for monitoring the solution.

Schneider Electric worked with local consultants Prisma Techniques to ensure that the power train solution met the design objectives provided by FutureTech on behalf of IXAfrica. The equipment is engineered to meet IEC standards, local requirements imposed by the nature of Kenya’s national grid, and environmental considerations such as weather conditions and Nairobi’s high altitude.

The new data centre is ‘EcoStruxure-ready’, with components of the installed EcoStruxure for Data Centers platform solution including:

Schneider Electric projects AI disruption

Legit.ng earlier reported that in a recent white paper titled "The AI Disruption: Challenges and Guidance for Data Center Design," Schneider Electric delves into the crucial attributes and trends surrounding AI workloads.

The paper sheds light on data centres' challenges and offers comprehensive guidance to address these issues in power, cooling, racks, and software management.

According to the white paper, the data centre industry is set to face significant tasks in 2024 as it adapts to the demands and harnesses the potential of AI.

Source: Legit.ng