Deployment of a new Modular Data Centre in Paris

Colt recently deployed a new 1,000 m2 modular data centre space at our flagship site south of Paris to meet increasing data storage demand in France. Weighing a combined 550 tonnes, the modules were pre-fabricated in the UK and shipped a thousand kilometres to their final destination, where they were assembled on site.

By manufacturing our data centres in a factory we can deliver them both quickly and to the highest levels of quality every time. From a regulatory stand point, each destination country has its own specific requirements that need to be met and these are fully accounted for during the pre-fabrication stage. Once the factory element is completed, it’s then onto the transportation stage which poses its own logistical challenges, particularly when covering large distances by land and sea.

Regulatory Requirements

For the installation in Paris, we went through a thorough compliance exercise at the early stages of the design process, working with a team of local experts to identify any design variations required to meet all the local design, safety and environmental requirements.

Architecturally, for example, we had to check that the data hall’s emergency exits and access stairs all complied – often it comes down to small details, such as adjusting the height of banister railings but it’s very important because, at the end of the day, the building is inspected by Bureau Veritas and given a certificate of approval that we meet the French standards and requirements.

We deliver our data centres fully fitted out with electrical, mechanical and fire systems – so, prior to the building phase, we have to check that, within our data centre, our components are compliant from an electrical and fire point of view. In the case of our Paris data centre, we delivered the data hall into an existing facility so interlinking into existing house systems involved additional compliance checks.

As part of our pre-check we carried out an environmental assessment which involved, for example, an acoustics survey, the details of which were checked against local codes. In terms of emissions from generators, we carried out minor variations on our solution so that we complied with both noise and environmental regulations.

In terms of environmental impact, we use fresh air cooling predominantly which allows us to promote a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.21. This greatly reduces the facility’s environmental footprint while resulting in reductions in total operating cost and cost of ownership.

Transportation Logistics

Transporting 1,000 m2 of data centre modules and associated mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment to Paris was a logistical feat in itself, requiring the shipment of 82 loads a thousand kilometres across the English Channel to the final destination 30 km south of Paris.

With vehicle lengths in excess of 30m, modules could only be transported over a pre-determined route, the whole of which had to be surveyed to check suitability of bridge clearances, manoeuvring and whether obstructions needed to be moved. A series of permits needed to be obtained from regional and central road authorities before any transport movements could take place and all special loads had to be escorted with their movements restricted to certain times of day.

Installation

A total of 24 modules and four corridors were lifted by crane into the main building at the facility where they were assembled on site and double stacked to form the data centre space. With the installation complete and regulatory approval secured from Bureau Veritas, the new data centre modules was powered up, further demonstrating Colt’s leadership in deploying high-capacity, resilient and scalable data centres anywhere in the world.