Unique datacenter project

May 2017 - Mombasa, Kenya - Africa

Elektro Internationaal and Zwart Techniek are involved in a unique data center project: the construction of a large datacenter based on African concepts. It is a data center in the Kenyan city Mombasa of icolo, a party that designs, builds and manages carrier neutral data centers. Local conditions create unique challenges.

“Submarine data cables land on two points on the African continent: in Senegal and Kenya. From these countries, internet connectivity will eventually be brought to other African countries via a network of data centers, for which a large number of data centers will be built across the continent. The icolo data center in Mombasa is the first step in this project ”, explains John Mooij, commercial director of Elektro Internationaal. ”Icolo approached us via trade fairs and asked us to deliver IT-supplying energy modules for the project according to European standards.”

CONSORTIUM OF ENERGY SPECIALISTS

Elektro Internationaal and Zwart Techniek provided the complete energy engineering for the project. Zwart Techniek developed the emergency power generators, while Elektro Internationaal supplied the distribution systems for the data center. Mooij: ”In addition, we worked together with a number of parties. Schneider Electric, for example, supplied the UPS systems for the data center, which are maintained by local staff of the company in Kenya. In addition, Schneider Electric supported us in making network calculations. The distribution systems supplied by Elektro Internationaal are partly connected to one another by means of busbars from our subsidiary STbenelux.”

All energy facilities were produced in the Netherlands: the emergency power generators were built at Zwart Techniek in IJmuiden, while Elektro Internationaal in Woerden made the distribution systems. These distribution systems were then taken to IJmuiden for an integral test, where they were tested in combination with the emergency power generators from Zwart Techniek. As soon as these tests had been successfully completed, the units were shipped to Kenya in containers by boat. Technicians from Elektro Internationaal and Zwart Techniek then traveled to Mombasa for the delivery ”, says Paul van der Weiden, managing director of Zwart Techniek.

EMERGENCY POWER AS AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SUPPLY

The energy supply in Kenya is less stable than here in the Netherlands. Not only are power failures much more common, they also last longer on average. An emergency power supply in a Kenyan data center is therefore of an even much greater importance than in a Dutch datacenter, ”says Mooij. ”In the Netherlands we install an emergency power supply in the event that the energy supply is unexpectedly disrupted. In Kenya, this emergency power supply actually functions more as an alternative energy supply.”

”This obviously has a significant impact on the way in which the emergency power supply is installed. For example, it must be able to take over the energy supply for a much longer period of time than we are used to here in Europe. Fortunately this is relatively easy to solve by making the diesel tanks bigger, ”says Mooij.

POWER OUTAGE OF OVER 72 HOURS

Van der Weiden adds: ”We supply two Zwart Techniek diesel generators of 800 kV each. The data center will be equipped with diesel tanks, which together can contain sufficient diesel to run the emergency power generators for 72 hours. In order to also deal with power failures that last longer than 72 hours, we include a fuel contract with a local supplier. If a long-term power failure occurs, a tanker with diesel can be ordered simply and quickly to replenish the diesel tanks. In principle, the data center can therefore run indefinitely on the emergency power supply, which means that long-term power failures can also be absorbed. ”Mooij:” By the way, ordering diesel has more to it than meets the eye. Whoever orders a tanker with diesel in Africa, would be wise to take samples to ensure that the ordered fuel was actually delivered.”

EXPERIENCE ON THE AFRICAN MARKET

”Zwart Techniek is a valuable partner for us in this project. The company has extensive experience on the African market and is active in Tanzania and Mozambique. The organization also has a local network of maintenance companies that provide maintenance to the generators. The local contacts of Zwart Techniek and the experience of the company on the African market are of great added value in the construction of the icolo data center in Mombasa ”, explains Mooij.

This experience is of great importance, as building a data center in Africa poses unique challenges. ”Because we are building solutions here in the Netherlands that are being implemented thousands of kilometers in a data center, working together with local parties in Kenya is a challenge. It is necessary to make clear agreements, since it is not possible to have certain activities checked by our own staff. It is therefore important to maintain short communication lines. This is possible with the aid of the current digital communication means such as videoconferencing. This keeps all parties involved up-to-date despite the distance.”

HYPER MODERN FACILITY IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

”We are building a hypermodern facility in a developing country. This brings with it considerable challenges, since the working method in Kenya is completely different than in the Netherlands. Look, for example, at the construction work carried out for the data center, working with local staff and in many cases different material than we are used to in Europe. For example, in Kenya it is not exceptional to work with electricity cables with a diameter of 630 mm2, while in the Netherlands we work with flex cables. These are hardly ever applied in Kenya, ”says Mooij. ”However, these flex cables are used in the new icolo data center, which is built according to European standards. The different way of working results in a completely different time schedule. Where in the Netherlands a data center is built in eight to nine months, this process takes considerably longer in Kenya.”

TRAINING LOCAL STAFF

Because African staff work will be working in a data center that is built according to European standards, it is necessary for employees to learn how to use European technology. ”If we deliver a generator and distribution system in the Netherlands, data center managers usually know how to deal with this equipment. This is not always the case in Kenya. That is why we will train the personnel in management and maintenance.”

UNIQUE INTRODUCTION

”Anyone who goes to work in Africa is advised to abandon any assumption. Anything that is obvious in our eyes will have to be checked there, given the totally different habits and way of working. That makes this project a unique introduction to working on the African continent”, Mooij concludes.

RETURN TO PROJECT OVERVIEW (https://www.elektro-internationaal.com/tp-28933-2/nieuws/project)