by 
Comunicado de prensa en español
CyrusOne, a leading global data center developer and operator, recently marked a key milestone in the development of its brand-new, state-of-the-art data center in Madrid, with a traditional flag flying ceremony to celebrate topping out of the facility.
CyrusOne acquired the 5-acre site in Alcobendas in 2021 for MAD1, for a two-story data center delivering 18MW IT capacity across 6,000 square meters of technical space. The facility is expected to achieve a BREEAM accreditation of 'Very Good' as a minimum standard', utilize 100% renewable energy, and generate approximately 100KW on site through roof mounted solar PV panels. The design purposefully utilizes air-cooled closed loop chiller technology to limit water usage and employs water retention technologies such as rainwater recovery and low water requirement planting.
"Spain is the fifth largest economy with the third highest renewable energy generation capacity in Europe, which demonstrates an enormous opportunity for us" said Matt Pullen, EVP and Managing Director, Europe at CyrusOne. "With growing demand for enterprise cloud outsourcing across the Spanish enterprise community and relatively low levels of supply, it's an opportune time for us to enter the Madrid market."
The event brought together many important design and construction partners to celebrate the successes of the project, including 120 site workers for a Health & Safety Hour, and 80 senior project leaders from ITERCON, Grupo COBRA, Commtech Commissioning Services, Quark, Q-safety, Turner & Townsend, JLL and CBRE for the rooftop ceremony. CyrusOne's Development Project Manager, Amparo Garcia Puente unfurled the first flag, with Manuel Marin, CEO, ITERCON and Ricardo Abad, Founder & Managing Director, Quark unfurling ITERCON and Spanish flags respectively.
"It's been wonderful to come together with so many of our partners who have worked so hard on this project, from initial site selection to architecture, design and engineering," Pullen continued. "I'm proud of everything that's been achieved and look forward to what's next in this market."
"It is a pleasure to face such a challenging project together with CyrusOne as a trusted partner, especially since the operator and the data center design focuses on sustainability and consideration for its environmental impact. We are grateful to the suppliers we are working with on this project who ensure the safety and quality of the build. We are delighted with the progress of the work and our contribution to meeting the demand for this type of facility in the area", said Manuel Marín, CEO, ITERCON.
This traditional flag-flying celebration, which is unique to Spain, first originated in the Middle Ages, and dates back to when fabric was used to determine the strength and direction of the wind, being placed on the highest part of a building under construction. Once the building was considered structurally safe and sound, a ceremony was held to celebrate the progress made, and is a tradition still upheld across Spanish construction projects in present day.
Summary
- Increasing pressures on the data center industry – including power reliability and sustainability – are fueling interest in nuclear power, notably SMRs
- Nuclear power has gained acceptance in recent years as a clean solution to overcome rising pollution and climate change while also appealing to those who see it as a means to fuel industrialization and economic growth.
- Despite its growing acceptance, myths about nuclear power and SMRs continue to persist.