DataVita is planning to expand capacity at its Fortis facility, adding an extra 400 racks to the data centre.

The data centre now comprises up to 1,500 sqm of technical space, with potential expansion of a further 3,000 sqm at the site in the future. 

The £8 million expansion of Fortis is part of the second phase of a long-term fit-out of the facility, which DataVita took full ownership of in 2021.

Having committed to the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact last year, DataVita says it plans to enhance the site’s green credentials by taking Fortis off-grid, generating its own electricity from wind and battery-powered back-up systems.

The facility uses ‘free cooling’ technology, utilising Scotland’s natural climate to maintain optimum temperatures, instead of air conditioning and refrigerant units . The centre’s current power usage effectiveness (PUE) is 1.18.

This expansion follows DataVita’s recent announcement to deliver a ‘metro’ data centre at 177 Bothwell Street in Glasgow.

Danny Quinn, MD of DataVita, said, “The expansion of Fortis is part of our long-term plan for the facility and underlines our commitment to providing the best and most energy efficient data services to private, public, and third sector organisations across Scotland.

“Sustainability is high on the agenda for IT and that has only become even more the case with energy price increases and the recent hot weather. Many companies are now no longer able to accept the cost of running their own data centre services, and the steps we have already taken to use renewable energy and make our facility as efficient as possible has driven more interest in our offering.

“The additional capacity at Fortis will ensure we can support more organisations with their IT infrastructure, along with our own growth and plans to make the facility even more efficient in the future.”