CyrusOne plans first Italian data centre in Milan's Segrate

CyrusOne has confirmed plans to establish its first data centre in Italy with a facility in Milan known as MIL1.

The company has acquired an 18.5-acre site in the Municipality of Segrate, located east of Milan. This site is positioned strategically at the junction connecting Italy, Europe, and the Mediterranean region. The MIL1 data centre will feature 27 megawatts of IT capacity and span 9,000 square meters within a single building over three floors. The development will be undertaken in three phases, with the initial phase set to deliver nine megawatts by the third quarter of 2027.

Matt Pullen, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Europe at CyrusOne, stated, "This is an exciting development for CyrusOne worldwide. Entering the Milan market is an important enabler for us to meet our hyperscale customers' demand, offering capacity and choice across the continent. We have seen relatively low enterprise adoption of the cloud in this market to date, demonstrating there are long-term growth opportunities for us here."

As part of its commitment to supporting the local community, CyrusOne has also secured a 658,628 square meter biodiverse plot known as the Golfo Agricolo. This land has been donated to the Municipality of Segrate for community use. Mayor Paolo Micheli remarked, "This is an important day for all of us in Segrate. At last, the Golfo Agricolo is ours, our children's and grandchildren's. The battle we won against cementing this area was right, courageous and determined, but also long, difficult and costly. We are delighted with this outcome which ensures that this area will remain an ecological area for the benefit of the people of Segrate today and in years to come."

Further demonstrating their environmental and community commitment, CyrusOne has pledged to install photovoltaic panels on several municipal buildings in Segrate. The company will also fund public infrastructure projects in the Redecesio district, including a new link road and the redevelopment of Via delle Regioni to enhance pedestrian and cycling paths.

Mark O'Keefe, Senior Director of Architecture at CyrusOne, expressed enthusiasm about their Italian venture, saying, "We are delighted to have made our first strategic acquisition in the Italian market. The site itself satisfies all the requirements for data center development, including a pre-existing agreement for the provision of power. We look forward to working closely with the Municipality of Segrate to deliver a design aligned to the needs of the community and our own sustainability goals."

Sustainability is central to the MIL1 data centre, which is designed to achieve at least a BREEAM 'Very Good' certification, utilizing 100% renewable energy. Additionally, the facility will be "heat reuse ready," with plans to recover and use waste heat within the data centre and optionally distribute it to local entities requiring such resources.