SHARJAH, 7th September, 2022 (WAM) — Khazna Data Centres and BEEAH Digital have announced forming a joint venture that will bring to Sharjah its first Tier 3 data centre.
In response, the joint venture is advancing the digital infrastructure in Sharjah, starting with an industry-standard Tier 3 data centre. The data centre will be equipped with high-tech security, fire and environmental control systems, and full redundancy grade power.
The newly established joint venture will be called One Data Centre SPV Limited and operate under the name of Khazna Data Centres.
In a signing ceremony recently at the BEEAH Group Headquarters, Hassan Alnaqbi, CEO of Khazna Data Centres, and Khaled Al Huraimel, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of BEEAH Group, officially formed the joint venture.
As the venture’s inaugural project, the Tier 3 data centre in Sharjah will support the Sharjah Government’s ambitious digital transformation efforts. It will also enable organisations across the UAE to pursue digitally led operations that deliver scalable high-performance services, create new jobs and commercial opportunities, and foster customer satisfaction.
Once operational, the centre will have a capacity of 9MW. It will have multiple power and cooling pathways, maximising uptime while minimising the cost of maintenance and power. Technologies to reduce cooling requirements will be integrated into the data centre. With solar power, the project will minimise emissions relating to power consumption. Inside, smart LED lighting with motion sensors will also help conserve energy. With a Power Usage Efficiency of 1.5 and below, the data centre will be more energy-efficient than the industry average.
It will also be designed to reduce water consumption with systems to reuse and recycle wastewater. It is aligned with Khazna’s “Future First Strategy,” which aims to achieve carbon-neutrality operations across all its sites by 2050. The data centre is also aligned with BEEAH Digital’s purpose, which is to accelerate sustainable impact for societies using robust digital solutions.
Ultimately, the data centre will adopt net-zero waste standards and certifications, benchmarked against the UAE’s sustainability agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Khazna and BEEAH Digital are committed to exploring renewable energy sources to meet the data centre’s power requirements. The facility will also be constructed to achieve green building certifications from Estidama and LEED.
Earlier this year, BEEAH Group launched the region’s first commercial-scale, waste-to-energy plant in Sharjah with a 30 MW output. A portion of the output from this waste-to-energy plant is being explored as a potential energy source.
Alnaqbi said, “Data centres are cornerstones in enabling innovation and driving growth for businesses across various sectors. They are also creating digital opportunities and seamless connections as businesses continue to develop and scale their operations. At Khazna Data Centres, we are focused on further investments in building the infrastructure in UAE to enable our existing and new customers in Sharjah, specifically to launch their services closer to their consumers.”
The data centre will be well-positioned to support businesses in enhancing their customers’ experiences, unlocking the value of technologies, and making headway on their carbon footprint reduction goals by meeting their environmental and sustainability needs, he added.
Al Huraimel stated, “With a Tier 3 data centre, we can enhance the available infrastructure for government entities and private companies. The advanced IT infrastructure will help boost investments, attract business and bring world-class services and data sovereignty for the wider public.”
