Ground-breaking at FunkenbergQuartier: construction of the YEXIO data centre begins

The ground-breaking ceremony at FunkenbergQuartier in Herne has officially marked the start of construction for the YEXIO data centre. The project is being developed by HOCHTIEF and jointly financed by Palladio Partners and HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions.

The data centre will initially provide two megawatts of IT capacity for the regional economy. Its capacity can be doubled to as much as four megawatts as demand grows. As an edge data centre located physically close to its users, it reduces data-transmission times to a minimum and strengthens local data sovereignty. Completion is scheduled for autumn 2027.

“Local businesses and municipal enterprises need secure data infrastructure on their doorstep for their sensitive data, allowing them to operate with complete independence,” explains Bernd Holtwick, CFO/COO of HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions. “That is precisely the digital sovereignty we are creating in Herne. As a strategic partner, we provide the complete solution from a single source—from financing and climate-friendly construction to reliable operation.”

The project forms part of HOCHTIEF’s strategy to build a European network of sustainable edge data centres. Herne is the fourth location, while work is progressing at other sites in Germany.

Climate-friendly operation, sustainable construction

To process data as sustainably as possible, the YEXIO concept employs an integrated environmental design. The facility will operate entirely on electricity from renewable sources. HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions is also constructing the building completely from solid timber. Prefabricated modules shorten construction times and reduce costs. Compared with conventional concrete and steel construction, this reduces the building’s carbon footprint by approximately 600 tonnes.

The facility uses direct liquid cooling with a closed water circuit to cool the servers. This technology is significantly more energy-efficient than conventional air-cooling systems. Through sector coupling, waste heat from the data centre will feed into the local energy supply. A green façade and intelligent rainwater management will improve the microclimate and promote biodiversity within the neighbourhood.

As a user of the Herne data centre, Yorizon will offer sustainable cloud-computing and green-IT services. Its target customers range from software and platform providers to medium-sized and large companies and public-sector organisations.

Part of an integrated smart city strategy

For the City of Herne, the data centre is a central building block in a comprehensive digitalisation programme. Herne’s Mayor, Dr Frank Dudda, sees it as a strategic milestone: “The data centre will create the conditions for Herne to become even more attractive as a location for future-ready IT- and knowledge-based jobs. We are therefore shaping Herne’s digital transformation so that it delivers measurable benefits for the people and businesses in our city. Our own data centre will serve as the backbone of our smart city projects. It will create the technical foundation for fast data connections, modern mobility strategies and intelligent infrastructure maintenance.”

Long-term capital for digital infrastructure

Palladio Partners is enabling the project to be delivered with long-term capital as part of an infrastructure portfolio in Germany and selected EU countries.

David Bussmann, Director at Palladio Partners, explains the importance of the partnership: “Modern, sustainable data centres are essential to further digitalisation. From an investor’s perspective, these projects are also compelling examples of sector coupling that works.”