< PreviousSmall modular reactor maker seeks large data centre partner? Across the globe, activity in the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) space is gathering pace. Governments, regulators, atomic agencies and authorities, global power manufacturers, research bodies and new market entrants are busy. For the data centre industry, the question is whether SMRs are applicable to the sector? Could they change how data centres are powered? A look at the output ranges, the different models under development, and the different nuclear technologies being proposed as suitable for the sector, will tell us more. The first thing to consider about an SMR is its power output. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines 'small' as under 300MWe, and up to about 700MWe as 'medium.' So, a large data centre deployment is at the small end of the SMR market. There are also developments in the micro modular reactor category. However, most of the recent activity in terms of regulations, licences and investments has been in the SMR category. SMRs under development and being built tell a story Rolls Royce says its SMR will generate 470MWe. It says a single Rolls-Royce SMR power station will occupy a space the size of two soccer pitches and power approximately one million homes, supporting on-grid electricity and a range of off- Are nuclear powered data centres on the horizon? Rolls Royce says its SMR will generate 470MWe. It says a single Rolls-Royce SMR power station will occupy a space the size of two soccer pitches and power approximately one million homes, supporting on-grid electricity and a range of off-grid clean energy solutions. By Ed Ansett, founder and chairman, i3 Solutions Group SUSTAINABLE POWER SOURCES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 50ata SUSTAINABLE POWER SOURCES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 51grid clean energy solutions. In January 2023, GE Hitachi announced a contract for its BWRX-300 – a 300MWe water-cooled SMR. According to the company, this is the first commercial contract for a grid-scale SMR in North America. A Danish outfit called Seaborg is planning floating SMRs using barges that can accommodate 4 x 200MWe reactors. It plans to use existing shipyards in which to create a production line for the barges. In the UK, the Office of Nuclear Regulation is assessing submissions from several firms for the licensing of their technologies. These include US-based Holtec, which submitted its 160MWe pressurised water reactor SMR-160 design, developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric of Japan and Hyundai Engineering and Construction of South Korea. X-Energy, a nuclear reactor and fuel design engineering company, wants to deploy its high- temperature gas reactor in the UK, saying it wants to tackle industrial decarbonisation as well as electricity generation. “The Xe-100 can deliver reliable ‘always- on’ electricity,” it says, “as well as increase or decrease power levels safely within minutes to respond to varying demand or supply.” UK Atomics is a subsidiary of Danish start- up Copenhagen Atomics, which is developing a containerised thorium molten salt reactor. It says its technology is “progressing swiftly with the first non- radioactive full-size reactor prototype to be tested in the UK in 2023.” The company expects deployment by 2028. For future large data centre developments, and for anyone seeking a clean, reliable, low-carbon producing power generation supply, these systems could be applicable. Current options to fuel SMRs The World Nuclear Association (WNA) says there are four main SMR technology options being pursued; “light water reactors, fast neutron reactors, graphite- moderated high-temperature reactors and various kinds of molten salt reactors (MSRs).” WNA says: “Light Water Reactors are moderated and cooled by ordinary water and have the lowest technological risk, being similar to most operating power and naval reactors today. “Fast neutron reactors (FNR) are smaller and simpler than light water types, they have better fuel performance and can have a longer refuelling interval (up to 20 years), but a new safety case needs to be SUSTAINABLE POWER SOURCES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 52made for them. “High-temperature gas-cooled reactors use graphite as a moderator (unless fast neutron type) and either helium, carbon dioxide or nitrogen as primary coolant. “Molten salt reactors mostly use molten fluoride salts as the primary coolant, at low pressure. Lithium- beryllium fluoride and lithium fluoride salts remain liquid without pressurisation up to 1400°C, in marked contrast to a PWR which operates at about 315°C under 150 atmospheres pressure. Fast-spectrum MSRs use chloride salt coolant. In most designs, the fuel is dissolved in the primary coolant, but in some, the fuel is a pebble bed.” WNA also states that many small reactors are being designed for industrial heat applications as well as power generation. Light water reactors are constrained by pressure limitations and operate in the 300-400°C range. Liquid metal fast reactors are in the 400-600°C range, molten salt reactors are around 600-700°C, and high- temperature reactors are 600-900°C. Possible use cases for SMRs 2022 and 2023 saw a number of large data centre development projects in the 200MWe range, many of them in Southeast Asia. Last year Yondr Group said it would develop a 200MWe hyperscale campus in Malaysia. The company announced a plan to develop 72.8 acres of land in Johor’s Sedenak Tech Park. T5 Data Centres announced the planned development of a 140-acre, 200MWe government and enterprise cloud data centre campus in Augusta, Georgia, which it described as the Southeast US cybersecurity hub. In South Korea, energy and construction firm Bosung Group said it is to build a 200Mwe data centre campus in SolaSeaDo, in Jeonnam Province. The company has partnered with The Green Korea (TGK), a joint venture between South Korean energy investment firm Energy Innovation Partners (EIP) and Diode Ventures. None of these developments has made any announcement on the potential use of nuclear power as a primary power source. Today, the timeframes for SMR production and licensing stretch to 2028 and beyond, so it could be that none of the currently publicised projects can wait that long. However, things could change quickly. SUSTAINABLE POWER SOURCES www.networkseuropemagazine.com 53Movers and shakers Scality appoints Peter Brennan as chief revenue officer Scality has announced that it has appointed an experienced former HPE executive, Peter Brennan, as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Scality’s addition of the CRO role reflects its mission to capture an increasing market share in the thriving file and object storage space. Expanding growth activities worldwide, Brennan will lead sales and marketing efforts to maximise revenue with an emphasis on partners and the channel. The rise in ransomware attacks, unstructured data growth and architectural complexity are pushing more IT buyers to seek and adopt modern file and object storage solutions. Scality’s appointment of Brennan positions the company to reach more of these IT buyers faster. It comes on the heels of Veeam’s selection of Scality as an inaugural launch partner for Smart Object Storage API (SOSAPI) integration in the new Veeam Data Platform, and FY2022 results, including a 28% YoY increase in partner-led business in the US alone. “Peter and I share an unfaltering belief that serving the channel serves the customer and, ultimately, maximises your success,” said Jerome Lecat, Scality CEO. “Scality’s growth is strong and steady, and we are primed to meet the new business realities - realities that are unequivocally calling for object storage. The stars were aligned when we secured such a high-calibre executive as Peter. I have every confidence he is the right person to take us to the next level of growth.” With over 20 years of data storage leadership, Brennan will lean on his experience bringing hybrid-cloud, hyper- converged, and data storage businesses into a new era to broaden Scality’s reach. During the last three years at HPE, Brennan successfully transitioned a multi-billion dollar business from a pure-play infrastructure sale into an as-a-service model. Prior to this, Brennan led a worldwide specialist sales organisation for VMware, focused on hyper-converged and hybrid-cloud solutions. The business grew to over 20,000 customers and became the second fastest billion-dollar run rate solution in company history. He has also held channel and sales leadership positions at HPE, LeftHand Networks, Opsware, CommVault, and EMC. “Scality’s technology has the enterprise- scale capabilities that stand above a crowded object storage market space,” explained Brennan. “I’ve seen what goes on behind the scenes, and loyal customers trust Scality for guidance. In addition, our affordable mid-market ARTESCA solution has increased revenue opportunities for partners - bringing enterprise-class features within the reach of more customers. It’s a perfect mix for expansion, and I look forward to extending our partner-first approach to achieve Scality’s growth objectives.” Scality’s cloud-like experience in the data centre replaces traditional block solutions to handle modern capacity and security requirements. With the increased threat of ransomware, the data immutability capabilities inherent to object storage provide an added layer of security. IT is empowered to build robust data protection architectures that are fast, flexible and easy to deploy. “Object storage’s value in ransomware protection is undeniable, and multiple IT organisations have shown it enables the agility and cost-control that are fundamental to what clients need today. We agree that Peter is the best person to capitalise on this opportunity and take Scality to new heights," said Rob Schaeffer, president and COO of CBT, an award-winning system integrator. Do you have a mover or shaker to introduce to the data centre industry? editor@networkseuropemagazine.com www.networkseuropemagazine.com MOVERS AND SHAKERS 54Proact Appoints Alexander Lechthaler as business unit director, west Alexander Lechthaler has been named business unit director west at Proact IT Group AB, succeeding Mark van Liempt. Business Unit West is the Proact Group’s second-largest business unit. Specialising in workspace and hybrid cloud solutions, Business Unit West covers Proact’s operations in the Netherlands and Belgium. In this role, Lechthaler will maintain momentum for the company's expansion and oversee strategic development of its services in the region. Additionally, he will become a member of the group management team. Entering the position with 11 years of experience at Proact, Lechthaler most recently held the position of Sales Director of Business Unit West, where he developed an in-depth knowledge of the Dutch and Belgian markets. Lechthaler succeeds Mark van Liempt, who joined Proact in October 2019 through the company’s acquisition of PeopleWare, where he had previously served as director for 16 years. “I am very proud of everything the Business Unit West team has achieved during the past three years,” said van Liempt. “I have really enjoyed integrating PeopleWare and Proact and I am proud of the result. With a strong team in place and a strong market-position, the timing is perfect to hand it over.” “We have greatly appreciated Mark van Liempt’s dedication to our colleagues, our customers and the business. Mark has established a strong team and a strong offering in the region over the past few years and we are sad to see Mark leave,” said Jonas Hasselberg, CEO and President of Proact IT Group AB. “At the same time, we are pleased to have Alexander Lechthaler take up the position. With his successful leadership and sales experience he is very familiar with our customers and their digital journeys, which is crucial in developing this region going forward.” “I very much look forward to leading the skilled, experienced team within this region,” said Lechthaler. “Moreover, I am excited to leverage Proact’s strong reputation within the region to help our customers generate business value through digitalisation.” Schneider Electric appoints Mark Yeeles as its new vice president for the Secure Power Division in the UK and Ireland Schneider Electric has appointed Mark Yeeles as its new vice president for the Secure Power Division in the UK and Ireland Yeeles joins the Secure Power Division from Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation business, where he delivered a sustained period of growth through its robotics and process automation solutions. From April 2023, Yeeles was tasked with driving profitable growth by working with Schneider Electric’s data centre customers, end-users and IT channel partners to address the challenges associated with data centre sustainability, efficiency, energy security and resilience. He also works directly across the company’s OT and electrical channels, including its electrical contractors, panel builders and distributors, to diversify the Secure Power businesses’ EcoStruxure for Data Centres hardware, software and services offerings, and fast-track growth among its partner base. “I’m honoured to have been appointed the new VP for the Secure Power division in the UK&I, and look forward to working with our customers to solve their challenges in the wake of the energy crisis,” said Yeeles. “I believe that ecosystem collaboration is vital to help this sector address its environmental impact, and that by harnessing the power of software and digitalisation to unlock new efficiencies and minimise energy waste, we will ensure data centres play a key role in a more resilient and sustainable future.” Commenting on the appointment, Marc Garner, SVP, Secure Power division, Schneider Electric, Europe said, “I’m delighted to name Mark Yeeles my successor for the UK&I and believe both his appointment and his customer-first approach will be essential as we continue to grow our engagement and relationships with owners, operators, and partners across this mission-critical sector.” In his new role, Yeeles will also deliver the company’s vision for Electricity 4.0 - helping customers harness the power of electrification and digitalisation to reduce CO2 emissions, lower energy consumption, and embrace grid-ready technologies to ensure that data centres can become part of a sustainable, resilient energy system. Schneider Electric’s Secure Power division provides data centre physical infrastructure solutions for customers using data centres, server rooms and edge computing solutions. Its EcoStruxure Data Centre Solutions, for example, bring together racks, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), energy efficient cooling systems, and data centre infrastructure management software (DCIM) systems to support IT equipment in mission-critical environments. Yeeles first joined Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation business in 2015, and during his tenure as VP, led a diverse team of experts to drive growth across end-user segments that included Industrial Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods, Water and Wastewater, and Plant and Machinery. Yeeles’ team helped its customers reap the benefits of digitalisation and automation, while increasing the uptake of Schneider Electric’s interoperable automation software, EcoStruxure. A passionate advocate for diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) and early careers, Yeeles believes that encouraging more young people to pursue rewarding STEM careers. MOVERS AND SHAKERS www.networkseuropemagazine.comwww.networkseuropemagazine.com 55NETWORKS EUROPE reaches a readership of 26,000 network infrastructure professionals throughout Europe, landing on the desks of data centre managers, facilities managers, CIOs, CTOs, ICT directors, consultants, network managers, integrators and many others in the data centre industry. NETWORKS EUROPE features editorial contributions from worldwide industry figureheads, ensuring that it's the world's best publication for information on all aspects of this constantly evolving industry. NETWORKS EUROPE The magazine for network and data centre professionals If you would like to contribute a feature article, please contact the editor, Hazel Davis at editor@networkseuropemagazine.com If you would like to advertise in any of the upcoming issues please contact sales@networkseuropemagazine.com 2023 EDITORIAL PROGRAMME JULY / AUGUST Copy deadline - 10th July • Market Direction • Micro Data Centres • People/Training and Development SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER Copy deadline - 11th September • Remote Data Centre • Smart Buildings/ Modernisation • Cybersecurity NOVEMBER / DECEMBER Copy deadline - 6th November • Power Management • Cabling and Connectivity • Cooling NETWORKS EUROPE The magazine for network and data centre professionals May/June 2023 OPTIMISING YOUR UPS THE LIQUID FUTURE OF DATA CENTRE COOLING Staying rock solid in a changing world Are nuclear-powered data centres on the horizon? Don’t let static be in charge of your fibre Network IN THIS ISSUE:Next >