Telenor, Hafslund, and HitecVision's collaborative venture, Skygard, is making strides with its inaugural project: a secure and energy-efficient data center in Oslo, backed by a collective investment of NOK 2.4 billion.
Telenor, Hafslund, and HitecVision's strategic move to appoint a security director from the Norwegian Communications Authority as CEO of their joint venture, Skygard, underscores their commitment to top-tier security measures. This decision aligns with their vision as construction progresses on Skygard's inaugural project, signaling a significant step forward in Norway's digital infrastructure landscape.
The Need for Secure Solutions
“We are proud to be making an investment that will ensure that Norway gets much-needed data centers emphasizing security and sustainability. We have great ambitions for Skygard and the timing is highly appropriate: the current geopolitical situation increases the need for secure solutions, whilst we simultaneously see an increasingly pressured market when it comes to capacity,” Jannicke Hilland, Chair of the Board of Skygard and Executive Vice President for Infrastructure at Telenor stated.
The first data center will be built in Hovinbyen, Oslo, with construction beginning in March 2024. Telenor Norway is the project's anchor customer, and Skygard is already in discussions with a number of potential customers.
Elise Lindeberg will take over as CEO of Skygard after serving as Director of Security at the Norwegian Communications Authority, where she oversaw security and emergency preparedness initiatives. Lindeberg has also served on the government's Emergency and Preparedness Commission.
“There is extensive digitization in all sectors of society, leading to an increasing number of important and critical services relying on good digital solutions and security. Data storage plays a significant role, and I look forward to contributing to building up Skygard,” said Elise Lindeberg.
Energy-Efficient Data Infrastructure
Hovinbyen's data center is positioned to lead Norway's energy-efficient data infrastructure by leveraging surplus heat to bolster the district heating system. In contrast to older counterparts, modern facilities like Skygard demonstrate a significant reduction in energy consumption, boasting efficiency gains of 50 to 70 percent. This innovative approach not only addresses the demand for data storage but also contributes to sustainability efforts by maximizing energy utilization and minimizing environmental impact.
Telenor recently announced that it will collaborate extensively with Nvidia on artificial intelligence development. “Through our collaboration with Nvidia, we will be able to establish independent and Norwegian-owned cloud platforms, operated on Norwegian soil, where artificial intelligence is one of the central drivers. This will contribute to Skygard's data centers, delivering highly-efficient, advanced, and secure solutions,” Hilland shared.
The data center in Hovinbyen will begin operations in the first half of 2025. The data center will serve as a co-location facility for multiple tenants. In addition to the first data center, Skygard intends to construct two more in the capital region. When fully developed, the three data centers will have a total capacity of 40MW.
