Aquila Capital has created a new data centre business division and is investing in a Norwegian project as its debut data centre investment.

The Hamburg-based real asset specialist is investing an undisclosed amount in the as part of a long-term strategy of the newly created AQ Compute data centre arm.  

Aquila said AQ Compute focuses on the provision of sustainable data centres, which enable customers to outsource their server hardware for the required computing capacity.

Construction of the data centre, located close to Oslo, will begin this year, Aquila Capital said, adding that it is partnering with German IT company Cloud&Heat Technologies on the project.

Roman Rosslenbroich, CEO and co-founder of Aquila Capital, said: “The project fits seamlessly into the sustainable investment strategy of Aquila Capital: The global demand for new technologies based on energy-intensive IT applications is steadily increasing. As a result, more and more climate-damaging greenhouse gases are being emitted.

“With sustainable and above all energy-efficient data centres, we are making a significant contribution to reducing global CO2 emissions.”

At the same time, the growing data centre market offers investors an attractive investment environment with sustainable return opportunities, Rosslenbroich said.

Carl von Hessen, investment manager at Aquila Capital, said: “To ensure that our data centre investments meet the highest standards in sustainability and energy efficiency, we accompany our projects locally along the entire value chain – from development to completion and beyond.

“Our clients receive a one-stop solution and at the same time benefit from our strong network of local partners.”

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