AFRICAN BUZZ •
The benefits offered by the local market are a strong banking system , a good e-commerce platform and a high demand for cloud-based enterprise services . “ We have good connectivity and increasingly better fibre networks , which is why the bulk of the larger players have set up shop here ,” says Schneeberger .
Data centres are typically multidisciplinary projects , which is where the company ’ s combination of in-house environmental , architectural , civil , structural and Mechanical , Electrical , Plumbing and Fire Protection ( MEPF ) engineering skills stand it in good stead , combined with its cost control and programme management expertise . All of this is underlaid by a strong modelling coordination team .
The company migrated to a 3D Building Information Modelling ( BIM ) environment as far back as 2010 , setting a major industry benchmark . Previously it used AutoCAD 2D , whereby each discipline overlaid its input on the masterplan . However , this required extensive coordination and clash detection on-site .
Now Autodesk Revit BIM software gives the company the capability to quickly model a complete project before a single sod is turned on-site . “ There are no surprises at the construction phase , which is the biggest capital outlay . The other benefit is that you can show a client beforehand exactly what is going to be built ,” says Schneeberger .
Any design changes impact on aggressive project timeframes and cost projections . “ Ultimately you are unable to deliver the project as and when promised . Now in collaboration with our BIM design team we ensure that any model is well coordinated , as globally we operate in a fully collaborative cloud-based environment .
“ No matter where our teams are in the world or in which time zone , they can now integrate seamlessly with any other teams ,” says Schneeberger . South Africa is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the BIM revolution as it is cost competitive and in a similar time zone to major developed markets such as Europe and even the US .
Data centres are distinguished in terms of scale and complexity , referred to as hyperscale facilities on the larger end and edge facilities on the smaller end . Despite the size , all comprise common elements such as a server room and cooling and power supply , including back-up power . The latter is increasingly based on renewable energy sources such as solar power or battery energy storage systems .
When major players enter a new territory , they typically lease space in a vendor neutral , co-located facility that is purpose built and mid to large sized , combining storage and processing in a single facility . However , exponential advances such as the Internet of Things ( IoT ) have created a need to have smaller , high-powered processing facilities closer to the load or need to reduce latency and energy impact .
“ Placing computing power within reach of the end user translates into a better customer experience and improved service delivery . There is major growth in edge data centres , which are increasingly prevalent in Africa due to their modularity and compactness ,” says Schneeberger .
The company is involved with major projects in Africa , supporting development of long haul terrestrial fibre networks in remote areas . “ We became involved through our US colleagues and were asked to produce a concept design ,” explains Schneeberger . An interesting aspect of the project is that the signal amplification stations , which are designed to boost the signal , will be located in remote towns or villages , combining it with small servers to create mini data centres .
“ This will allow for a fibre line to be installed to such a village and effectively connect it to the rest of the world . The implications for the development and technological advancement of the rest of Africa are profound ,” notes Schneeberger . The design includes a bolt-on power and cooling solution , with power from solar with battery energy storage .
“ There is a move away from hydrocarbon fossil fuel solutions such as diesel gensets to more sustainable energy sources ,” adds Schneeberger . “ There is a lot of talk about green hydrogen , but we have a long way to go before it becomes feasible , especially for smaller installations . The advantage of this model is that it can be rolled out massively across Africa . It is the future of connecting the continent ,” he concludes . •
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining • May 2023 • 5