Details
Telia Helsinki Data Center provides reliable and secure data center services. Successfully delivering the project required careful planning, strong MEP expertise and the ability to manage a complex project on a constrained urban site.
Behind its relatively ordinary exterior in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, the building houses a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient data center. Built largely underground, the massive Telia Helsinki Data Center covers more than 34,000 square metres, equivalent to the size of two Finnish Parliament Houses. It can accommodate up to 200,000 servers and has a total capacity of at least 24 megawatts. The data center has multiplied the data center capacity available to companies operating in Finland.
The aim of the construction project was to create high-quality data center facilities that provide flexible data center and cloud services for the diverse needs of companies and organisations. Particular expertise was required in MEP systems, as data centers are packed with technology from floor to ceiling. SRV
A central location required careful planning
The data center was built in a logistically challenging location. The site was constrained and located in the middle of the city. The challenges posed by the location required precision and careful planning from the project team.
“Because of the challenging site, managing the schedule and processes was important. Deliveries had to arrive on site at the right time, and tasks had to be carried out according to plan and in the right order. We also had to take the neighbours into consideration,” says Teemu Lohilahti, SRV’s Project Manager for the Helsinki Data Center project.
Telia Helsinki Data Center took around three years to build. Carrying out construction and design simultaneously made it possible to stay on schedule.
Designed for optimal data center performance
Telia Helsinki Data Center was designed from the outset specifically for data center use, both in terms of its structures and functionality. Data centers are often located in buildings that previously served another purpose.
At the time of completion, Matti Tella, who was responsible at Telia for setting up the data center’s operations and operating the facility, saw first-hand how the building worked in day-to-day use and served its users.
“Telia Helsinki Data Center is optimally suited to data center use. The center has operated without interruption, without a single fault affecting users of the facilities. This reflects the high standard of the building and its design, as everything has operated exceptionally reliably,” Tella says.
Flexible and secure facilities
The facilities at Telia Helsinki Data Center were designed to be as flexible and adaptable as possible, making them long-lasting as well.
“We deliberately did not complete everything at once, but instead invested in the adaptability of the building. Modular construction has made it possible to expand and modify the facilities later so that they support different needs as effectively as possible,” Tella says.
Energy efficiency and a high level of information security were also priorities in the design of the project. The IT, security, electrical and fire suppression systems are world-class, and waste heat generated by the servers, for example, is intended to be recovered.
The data center has received numerous certifications recognising its quality, environmental performance and security.
A skilled team backed by a strong organisation
The demanding project required a highly skilled team. SRV brought together a diverse group of professionals whose skills complemented one another. In day-to-day work on site, effective site management played a key role.
“It was impressive to see how well the site manager kept everything under control. He always knew what was happening in different parts of the site. He sequenced the work well and helped ensure that everything ran smoothly,” Tella recalls.
In addition to the professionals themselves, the organisation behind them also plays an important role in the success of a project. Tella praises SRV’s approach:
SRV’s scale as a company made it possible to respond quickly even to situations that had not been anticipated. The project’s skilled personnel had an extensive network behind them.
A strong focus on occupational safety
Occupational safety was taken seriously throughout the project, which was also evident to the client in the low number of accidents.
“The way occupational safety was addressed in the project was impressive – both systematic and thorough. The low number of accidents was not down to luck, but the result of determined work. Everyone on site received a thorough induction from the outset, materials were not left lying around and a great deal of effort went into anticipating risks. Subcontractors were also required to take care of occupational safety, overseen by the occupational safety manager,” Tella says.
The demanding data center project provided valuable experience for those involved. Although there had previously been little experience in Finland of a data center project of this scale, the targets were ambitious and were achieved. Telia Helsinki Data Center will continue to operate reliably for many years to come.
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