DAILYHOSTNEWS, December 16, 2011 – ABB is getting ready to power Facebook’s new data center being built in Lulea, Northern Sweden.
The power and automation technology vendor signed a contract worth US$11m with Facebook subsidiary Pinnacle Sweden to supply two high and medium voltage air and gas insulated switchgear substations for the facility.
ABB Power Systems head Peter Leupp said it will also install substation automation systems, built to the global IEC 61850 standard for substations.
“The substations are designed to handle the high electricity demand of such facilities,” Leupp said. “They will provide reliable and quality power supply to the server buildings.”
Facebook said it believes that once constructed, at 84,000 sq m, Facebook Lulea will be the biggest data center of its kind in Europe.
It is being constructed in three phases, the first of which will come online in December 2012.
It will be designed in keeping with the design emphasis of internet companies, which are increasingly looking at ways to make data centers more energy efficient. Lulea was chosen for its suitability for free cooling and its stable supply of renewable energy, as well as its strong communications and electricity networks.
Once complete, it will act as the European node for Facebook’s worldwide operations.
About Facebook
Founded by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004, Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with over 500 million users.
Website: www.facebook.com
