CyrusOne begins construction of fifth Frankfurt data centre in Hanau

CyrusOne, the global data centre developer and operator, has officially commenced construction on its fifth data centre in Frankfurt, Europe's data centre capital. The facility, known as FRA5, is strategically situated in Hanau, 25km east of Frankfurt's centre.

Initial plans for the expansion of CyrusOne's presence in Germany date back to November 2021, when the site in Hanau was acquired for the establishment of a cutting-edge data centre. The development will comprise two buildings, spanning a total of 18,000 sqm of technical space, and delivering an IT capacity of 54 megawatts. This marks a significant rejuvenation for a historic part of the city previously dedicated to industrial use.

In the lead up to construction, CyrusOne has worked closely with local residents and the City of Hanau, acknowledging progress on sustainability and material preservation throughout the demolition phase. A formal ceremony was held in July 2023, co-hosted by the company and city officials to mark the company's permit acquisition for the development.

Presided by Carsten Schneider, Managing Director for CyrusOne in Germany, the onsite ground-breaking ceremony saw participation from a distinguished group of city officials and industry leaders. This included Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky, City of Hanau; Erika Schulte, Economic Development Officer, City of Hanau; state secretary Dr. Walter Fischedick for Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Minister for Digital Strategy and Development; and Peter Pohlschröder, Vice-Chairman for the German Data Center Association (GDA).

Mr. Schneider conveyed his pride and privilege in reaching this significant milestone, saying, "We are tremendously proud of what this development stands for, with sustainability and biodiversity central to the design and operation of the data centre." CyrusOne's Managing Director reaffirmed the company's commitment to support the digitalisation of Hanau and the local economy by providing employment opportunities.

Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Digital Minister, highlighted the importance of data centres to Hesse's digital ecosystem, given that "almost one-third of all German data centre capacity is located in Hesse, and for large data centres, the share is as high as 50 percent." She welcomed CyrusOne's efforts to boost the region's digital hub while ensuring energy-efficient and safe digital infrastructure.

Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky recognised CyrusOne's potential contribution to the city's resilience and sustainability, stating, "We welcome the prospect of sustainable construction of the data centre and know that CyrusOne will make its contribution to make the waste heat usable for the site."

Embodying efficiency and sustainability, the new facility will operate with an ultra-low design PUE, exclusively using renewable electricity. The Energy Management System (EMS) will comply with ISO50001 and heat will be recovered and reused across the campus. Moreover, the data centre is intended to achieve a BREEAM "Very Good" rating as a minimum, and will align with CyrusOne's corporate ESG objectives and the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact (CNDCP) targets.

The architectural design seamlessly integrates 2,500 sqm of naturally cleansing green walls, promoting biodiversity and improving air quality. These green spaces also contribute to thermoregulation, humidity control, and overall energy efficiency.