Metronode opens direct free air cooling data centre

Metronode, a subsidiary of Leighton Contractors, today opened what it terms a “large-scale, energy-efficient data centre” in Derrimut, Victoria.

The facility uses direct free air cooling and modular plant systems to help increase power utilisation efficiency. The on-site rainwater retention and harvesting, and a site monitoring system, provide further environmental enhancements at the facility.

Peter McGrath, Executive General Manager, Leighton Telecommunications, said: “[The] facility is superior from an eco-technology perspective as it provides a 90% real reduction in power required for cooling. These significant energy savings are then passed on to our customers and the end user.

“This facility offers a power utilisation efficiency (PUE) of less than 1.2, compared to traditional data centres which can run in excess of 2.2,” said McGrath.

The site covers more than 25,000 square metres. It can be scaled to support up to 12 MW of IT load, with more than 3000 equipment racks.