A new partnership is ensuring that atNorth’s data centers across the Nordic region remain operational through any power interruptions. The Finnish company kW-set Oy is delivering comprehensive backup power solutions to atNorth’s facilities in Finland, Iceland, and Denmark, providing crucial infrastructure stability as the data center operator continues its expansion. This collaboration addresses a key challenge for growing data center operators: securing reliable emergency power without the large, in-house engineering teams typical of hyperscale providers.
The partnership, which began in 2023, has expanded to cover all of atNorth’s sites, demonstrating the increasing need for robust power resiliency in the data center industry. kW-set Oy, a specialist in backup power since 2004, is providing turnkey services that include not only the generator units but also their design, installation, and ongoing maintenance. This end-to-end management ensures that atNorth’s infrastructure, which supports high-performance computing and AI workloads, is protected against costly downtime and data loss. The deal underscores a broader trend of data center operators leveraging specialized contractors to build out critical systems in a rapidly growing market.
Expanding Regional Infrastructure
The collaboration started in 2023 when kW-set Oy secured a contract to supply six generators for atNorth’s FIN02 facility in Finland. According to Atte Hietaoja, a partner and the chief sales executive at kW-set Oy, the partnership quickly grew. “The second phase was Iceland, then Denmark, and now we are supplying all the sites for atNorth,” he stated. This expansion reflects atNorth’s strategy to scale its sustainable data centers across the Nordic region to meet rising demand.
atNorth has been focused on a significant Nordic expansion to address a capacity crunch for high-density computing. The company’s development officer, Anna Kristín Pálsdóttir, has emphasized prioritizing sustainable operations during this growth. The choice of the Nordics is strategic, leveraging the region’s access to renewable energy sources and favorable climate for cooling, which are essential for managing the power-intensive demands of modern AI and data analytics. Reliable backup power is a critical component of this strategy, ensuring service continuity for customers with mission-critical applications.
Comprehensive Power Solutions
Turnkey Project Management
kW-set Oy provides what it describes as a “turnkey” service, managing every stage of the backup power projects. This comprehensive approach includes initial engineering and design tailored to the specific needs of each data center. The company’s team of engineers works to create custom solutions using modern technology and high-quality materials to ensure performance and durability. This model is particularly valuable for operators like atNorth that may not have dedicated internal teams for power infrastructure engineering.
Installation and Long-Term Support
Beyond the initial setup, the Finnish firm delivers and installs the containerized backup power systems, which are designed for rapid deployment and seamless integration with the data center’s existing infrastructure. The service agreement also includes ongoing maintenance and 24/7 technical support from a dedicated team of technicians. This continuous support is vital for data centers, where uninterrupted power is essential for maintaining operations, preventing data loss, and ensuring equipment safety.
Technology and Sustainability
The core of the solution involves robust generator units designed for mission-critical applications. kW-set Oy leverages its partnerships with global backup power system manufacturers to access the latest technology in the field. The generators are built with high-quality components to ensure they function reliably during a power failure, minimizing the risk of service disruptions for atNorth’s clients. These systems are a fundamental part of risk management for any organization that cannot afford interruptions in service.
While the backup systems often rely on diesel generators, kW-set Oy has made efforts to address environmental concerns. All of the company’s diesel generator units are compatible with HVO fuel, a sustainable diesel alternative. According to the company, using HVO fuel, which is produced from waste and leftover raw materials, can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%. This aligns with the sustainability goals of clients like atNorth, which prioritize improving their carbon footprint and working toward carbon neutrality.
A Partnership for Critical Needs
This collaboration highlights a critical dependency in the digital infrastructure landscape: the need for specialized expertise to support the rapid growth of data processing facilities. As data centers become more essential for AI and other high-density computing tasks, the importance of foundational elements like uninterrupted power becomes magnified. Companies like kW-set, with over 20 years of experience in the Nordic market, become key enablers for data center operators.
The partnership provides atNorth with a reliable and scalable power backup solution across its entire Nordic portfolio, allowing the company to focus on its core business of providing sustainable and efficient data center services. By handling the complex logistics and technical requirements of the power systems, kW-set ensures that atNorth’s expansion can proceed without being hindered by one of the most critical infrastructure components. This allows atNorth to confidently offer its services to clients with the assurance of high reliability and uptime.
