Data Demand
Africa needs 700 data centre facilities
Submitted by WSP in Africa
According to a recent report *, Africa needs 700 data centre facilities to meet growing demand for capacity and density in today ’ s digitally-driven operating environment . This is easier said than done given the power , land , and water requirements of modern data centres . And yet , this has become a non-negotiable at a time when cloud adoption has accelerated and become a top business priority .
“ These mission-critical facilities require resilient infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted services that enable business , operations , and systems to function effectively and continuously - especially given the ongoing lockdown conditions still experienced in many African countries , but for a post pandemic future too . Uptime is key , and in a world where distributed work has become normalised , no organisation can afford to experience any disruptions especially when geographically dispersed employees are accessing systems in cloud environments ,” says Peter Hodgkinson , Managing Director , WSP , Building Services , Africa .
The African data centre market size is expected to top $ 3 billion by 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of over 12 % during the 2019 to 2025 forecasting period . Furthermore , more than 70 % of companies in the region will shift to the cloud . This will only increase as more countries
Peter Hodgkinson Managing Director , WSP , Building Services , Africa invest in better connectivity and infrastructure to manage data centre facilities . To this end , partnerships between government and the private sector must be strengthened to create an enabling environment for the development of modern data centres that are future-proof by design .
“ The investment required for the building of a data centre is significant . As such , these must be developed to meet the urgent and immediate needs of businesses operating in a highly volatile market still being challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic . But perhaps , even more importantly , they need to be resilient and sustainable to make them future-proof on a continent where resources like water and electricity are scarce and must be managed as efficiently as possible ,” adds Hodgkinson .
An example of this is the challenge of managing the consumption of power and huge quantity of heat generated by a data centre that processes a massive amount of data . And further complicating matters is that traditional data centre designs have fixed set points that do not allow for any adaptability regarding external environmental factors . It is therefore important to install a solution that optimises energy efficiency by adjusting the amount of direct fresh air and humidity in the system while factoring in external factors such as the weather .
“ Data centres require the highest level of precision when it comes to their design . Optimising this process through Building Information Modelling ( BIM ), a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility , can make significant inroads of ensuring the modern data centre reflects the unique environmental demands of Africa . Aspects such as fire protection , building design , power and cooling systems , security , facility management systems , and sustainability are all critical in this regard ,” says Hodgkinson .
In addition , and given the complexity of managing resources across Africa , the operational profile of data centres must also remain cognisant of energy savings and carbon emission reductions as core environmental priorities .
Hodgkinson says : “ Energy security is a critical consideration . Given the purpose of a data centre , being able to offer nearest to 100 % uptime is not only a key market differentiator , but increasingly a non-negotiable in this digital age . However , most markets across Africa experience some level of unstable power supply at best . This is also compounded by pressure to rethink resource reliance in line with sustainability practices . And the data centre environment is no different .”
Typically , data centres are power hungry , however , to meet uptime conditions and manage customer expectations power management solutions – including resilient and backup power infrastructure , or self-powering solutions to offset reliance on grid power – is business critical in the African data centre market . Additionally , with the global shift towards net zero , more emphasis is being placed on architects and consulting engineers to continue to come up with alternative and operational costefficient designs to reduce energy consumption , reduce carbon emissions and improve the overall operational efficiencies of new data centre projects .
“ A data centre that is built around these core principles is not only modern in today ’ s context , but future-proof by design . And , like smart property developers , data centre owners have begun to realise that building for sustainability not only makes good operational business sense , but it also aligns with responsible corporate citizenship and meeting environmental , social , and governance ( ESG ) practices . These are significant value adds to the end-user , which also contributes to the marketability of the data centre as what benefits the end-user also benefits the data centre owner ,” concludes Hodgkinson .
* www . africadca . org / en / white-paper-what-utilities-are-required-for-africas-digital-infrastructure-needs 12 Data Desired