Hitachi Energy to deliver 110kV grid connection for Kauri CAB data center in Frankfurt, Germany

Hitachi Energy has secured a contract to deliver a new grid connection solution for a Kauri CAB Digital Infrastructure data center being developed in Frankfurt, Germany.

The agreement will see Hitachi supply a dedicated 110kV grid connection, which it claims is designed for high reliability within a compact footprint and is intended to help integrate the data center into a constrained urban environment. The company said that through reinforcing the interface between the transmission and distribution grids, the new grid connection will support stable and reliable accommodation of growing electricity demand. No timeline has been provided for deploying the grid connection at the data center.

“Power systems are evolving faster than at any point in recent history, shifting from stable, centrally planned networks to highly dynamic systems that must integrate concentrated new demand, variable power flows, and rising resilience requirements. The edge of the grid is increasingly where many of these pressures converge,” said Marco Berardi, head of grid and power quality solutions and service at Hitachi Energy. “By delivering compact and advanced grid connections, we help customers such as Kauri CAB move forward with confidence, while strengthening the resilience of the broader electricity system and further reinforcing our strong position in the data center market.”

While not confirmed, it seems likely that the grid connection will power an under-development data center on a 55,000 sqm (592,000 sq ft) parcel in Hochheim, which the German asset manager acquired in April. Kauri paid €24 million ($28.2m) for a land parcel located between Frankfurter Strasse and the B40, and the data center will offer around 40MW of capacity at completion, according to reports at the time. DCD has reached out to confirm.

Berlin-based Kauri specializes in real estate. Its previous projects include the residential development Wasserstadt Mitte and the Berlin Spandau, both located in Berlin.

Hitachi Energy has made numerous announcements over recent years supporting the growth of data center power solutions. For example, in April, the company partnered with Samsung Engineering & Construction Group to develop high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) grid infrastructure, aiming to help power grids meet growing demand from the data center market.

Other recent deals include a partnership with OpenAI to supply power transmission and distribution equipment to the ChatGPT maker’s data centers. As well as a partnership with regional transmission operator (RTO) Southwest Power Pool to develop an Nvidia-powered artificial intelligence solution that reduces the duration of interconnection impact studies.