The CIV1 Raxio Data centre opened in September 2024. (Image source: Raxio)

What were the power challenges behind one of West Africa’s latest data centres and how were these overcome by leading carrier-neutral Tier III data centre operator, Raxio Group?

In September 2024, Raxio Group officially inaugurated its new state-of-the-art data centre in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Christened the CIV1 data centre, it represented the country’s first Tier III certified carrier-neutral and cloud-neutral facility and is fully equipped with best-of-breed technology. Capable of housing up to 800 racks at full capacity and delivering 3MW of IT power to customer support, it was delivered to help drive the appetite for data consumption and local content by digital users in the country as well as being strategically located to serve the WAEMU economic block.

“The inauguration of our Abidjan data centre establishes us firmly in West Africa, a key growth sector for our continued expansion,” explained Robert Mullins, CEO of Raxio Group. “Abidjan is the ideal location for organisations and businesses from across the economic region to collocate their mission critical infrastructure in a highly reliable and secure facility. We are proud to contribute a fundamental cornerstone to facilitate Côte d’Ivoire’s continued digital growth and cement its hub status in the region.”

Vital infrastructure in West Africa

According to Raxio, the facility is supported by multiple paths for power and fibre connections, and cutting-edge redundant equipment, which underpin its Tier III certification. The 24/7 ‘always-on’ data centre is positioned along key fibre routes, with six connectivity providers currently supplying fibre to the facility. CIV1 will also serve as host to the country's Internet Exchange Point (CIVIX) allowing for low-cost interconnection of local and international traffic in an optimal, carrier-neutral environment.

By nature, data centres are power-hungry facilities with the International Energy Agency suggesting that after globally consuming an estimated 460TWh in 2022, they could reach more than 1,000TWh by 2026. As such, as a new, integral part of the region’s digital infrastructure, it is vital that the CIV1 facility power needs are accounted for. To learn more about how Raxio Group has taken on this challenge, African Review heard from Rob Saunders, chief technology officer at Raxio Group:

African Review (AR): How are you meeting the primary power needs of this facility? 

Rob Saunders (RS): We ensure reliable primary power for our facility through two independent (N+N) 15kV feeders sourced directly from the CIE substation. Each feeder is capable of supporting 100% of the facility’s load, providing full redundancy to safeguard against any single point of failure.

AR: Are there any additional measures being taken to provide critical backup power?

RS: Yes, we have implemented a Tier III compliant backup power system to ensure uninterrupted operations. Our emergency generators are continuous-rated at 1,500KVA and are installed in an N+1 configuration to provide redundancy. This ensures that if one generator fails or is taken offline for maintenance, the remaining units can seamlessly handle the entire load.

AR: Was there any challenges with this particular project regarding the energy requirements and how were these overcome? Did you receive any support from external companies to meet the power needs?

RS: Raxio Engineering and PMO teams worked proactively to coordinate with the local utility provider ensuring smooth design and integration of the power feeds with minimal delays. Our partners offered the technical expertise and on-site resources, helping us to overcome unforeseen challenges and ensuring that our design complied with the local authority regulations.

AR: The power-intensive nature of data centres is presenting a real challenge around the world, but especially in Africa. On the continent, does Raxio have a preferred strategy for meeting the needs of its new facilities?

RS: Our approach is all about designing energy-efficient data centres that use as little power as possible. A big part of this is achieving a low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), which measures how well we manage energy beyond just running the IT equipment. By fine-tuning things like cooling systems, power distribution, and the overall facility layout, we cut down on unnecessary energy use and, helping us keep the power demands of the entire operation as low as possible.

AR: It was also mentioned in the press release of the sustainable practices you encourage. Could you explain this in a bit more detail in regards to what steps you are taking at your facilities? Have you looked at meeting some of your power needs through renewables?

RS: Yes, we’re currently exploring the use of renewable energy for our facilities. It’s worth mentioning that some of our facilities are already connected to substations powered by renewable sources. As a result, a large proportion, of our portfolio is already running on clean energy. In fact, this is a key factor we consider when selecting a plot or substation during the initial technical assessments for any new data centre location.

We are also looking at various strategies to support with decarbonising our portfolio, this includes evaluating new materials, energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy solutions, and innovative cooling methods to minimise our environmental impact while meeting operational demands.

Nokia and Turkcell achieve world-first quantum-safe IPsec cryptography milestone, securing mobile networks against future quantum computing threats. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Nokia and Turkcell have achieved milestone by demonstrating the world’s first implementation of quantum-safe IPsec network cryptography for mobile subscribers 

This achievement is a significant step forward in protecting mobile networks from future quantum computing threats. By adopting cutting-edge cryptographic standards, Nokia and Turkcell are proactively strengthening network security to ensure long-term resilience in mobile communications.

The rise of quantum computing poses serious risks to traditional cryptography, potentially enabling quantum attacks that can bypass current security measures. As this technology evolves, it is crucial for networks to adopt robust solutions to mitigate these emerging threats.

Safeguarding mobile communications

Turkcell’s mobile transport network now features quantum-safe IPsec cryptography, integrated as part of a defense-in-depth, crypto-resilient strategy. This landmark demonstration utilised Nokia’s widely deployed IPsec Security Gateway, showcasing its ability to safeguard critical data against quantum-era threats.

By embracing advanced cryptographic techniques, Nokia and Turkcell are not only enhancing security for today but also preparing for technological advancements in the future. Mobile users can trust that their communications remain protected now and in the years ahead.

Dr Vehbi Çağrı Güngör, Turkcell chief network technologies officer, remarked, “This test represents a significant milestone in the evolution of our network security. As part of our strategy to continually enhance the security of our mobile network, this collaboration with Nokia provides us with the confidence that our transport security can withstand the challenges of the quantum era. By demonstrating these quantum-safe cryptography capabilities today, we are preparing our network for the future.”

Rafael De Fermin, senior vice-president of Network Infrastructure Europe, Nokia, added, “Through our collaboration with Turkcell we’ve shown how our quantum-safe IPsec technology can protect mobile networks against the evolving security threat landscape. This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to safeguard the privacy and integrity of mobile technology. Our solutions provide a proactive defense-in-depth crypto-resilient approach against future network security challenges, ensuring that Turkcell’s network remains secure for years to come.”

This achievement underscores Nokia’s leadership in network security, particularly in the mobile telecom sector. The implementation of quantum-safe cryptography reinforces Nokia’s role at the forefront of creating secure, reliable network infrastructures. It also reflects the company’s dedication to addressing risks associated with emerging technologies like quantum computing.

Raxio Mozambique and Raxio Ethiopia join a growing portfolio of Tier III-certified data centres. (Image source: Raxio)

Raxio Group, a leading carrier-neutral Tier III data centre operator, has achieved the Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Constructed Facility (TCCF) for its facilities in Mozambique and Ethiopia

This certification confirms that these facilities have been constructed in accordance with the original Tier III Design Certification standards and rigorously tested to meet Uptime Institute’s performance criteria.

"Achieving the Uptime Institute Tier III Facility Certification for our Mozambique and Ethiopia facilities is a significant milestone,” explained Robert Saunders, chief technology officer at Raxio Group. “It reassures our customers that these data centres are designed and constructed to meet the highest international standards.”

The certification proves that the data centres are capable of providing the expected reliability and performance under various operational conditions. For Raxio, the awarding of this has been viewed as another step along the path to meeting the growing demand for quality data centre infrastructure in Africa – a goal it has made central to its overarching mission. It is pursuing this in order to enable digital transformation, supporting economic growth and creating sustainable solutions for businesses across the continent.

“This guarantees operational resilience, reliability, and a robust environment to support their critical business operations,” added Saunders. “Our customers can confidently scale and innovate, knowing that their data is hosted in facilities that are built for peak performance and future growth.”

The partners have identified the increasing demand for AI-ready infrastructure across Africa. (Image source: Exclusive Networks)

Supermicro, a leader in application-optimised total IT, has sought to expand its footprint across Africa by appointing Exclusive Networks Africa, a trusted cybersecurity specialist, as a distributor for the region

“The African market is marked by its rapid adoption of cutting-edge technology, largely due to a reduced dependence on legacy infrastructure. Exclusive Networks Africa’s strong presence across East and West Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Indian Ocean Islands makes it an ideal partner to drive our growth ambitions,” remarked Wynand Möller, regional manager – sub-Saharan Africa at Supermicro.

“In a vast and diverse market like Africa, having a partner with the pedigree of Exclusive Networks Africa is critical. The company’s precision focus on security and data centre technologies aligns perfectly with our emphasis on next-generation solutions.”

All eyes on AI

The two have a shared commitment to advance AI technologies and, to this end, Supermicro’s advanced graphical process unit (GPU) solutions will play a pivotal role. The GPU-driven innovations are designed to deliver robust, scalable and flexible infrastructure for AI acceleration, helping enterprises unlock new possibilities in AI deployment and data centre operations.

Möller added, “As the world’s third largest supplier and consumer of technology, behind only Microsoft and Meta, Supermicro’s GPU offerings play a key role in AI acceleration. This technology will form the cornerstone of the partnership with Exclusive Networks Africa, with a strong focus on GPU and data centre-related technology.”

“Organisations in Africa are increasingly repatriating their digital assets – such as data, applications or entire business processes – from public cloud environments to on-premises data centres, motivated by the need for greater control, performance, security and cost-efficiency,” commented Stefan van de Giessen, general manager for Africa at Exclusive Networks Africa.

“This trend is further driven by global geopolitical uncertainties and currency fluctuations impacting cloud costs. Exclusive Networks Africa is thrilled to collaborate with a company like Supermicro, a leader in advanced GPU technology, thanks to the growing AI market.”

Sustainability at the core

Supermicro has also explained that sustainability is a key cornerstone of the new partnership, with the company’s products designed for free-air cooling, liquid cooling-readiness and to reduce e-wastage.

“Very importantly for a region like Africa though is the focus on reducing power consumption,” said Van de Giessen. “Supermicro achieves this by sharing fans and power supplies, resulting in a more optimised operation, something that the business claims can reduce electricity use by an estimated 10%.”