CyrusOne plans second Milan data centre with 54 MW capacity

CyrusOne has announced its plans to build a second data centre in Milan, designated as MIL2, which is set to deliver significant IT capacity and is part of the company's expansion strategy in Europe.

The planned data centre will be located on a 19.68-acre site situated within the Municipalities of Milan and Segrate, approximately four miles east of the city centre and near Linate Airport. The facility is expected to provide 54 megawatts of IT capacity across 18,000 square metres of technical space, distributed over three floors.

CyrusOne's plans underscore its commitment to integrating into the local community by dedicating approximately 30% of the site for municipal use and collaborating with local authorities to enhance the surrounding area. Features such as landscaping and acoustic panels will be incorporated to mitigate noise impact, and the centre will be built "heat reuse ready," allowing for the redistribution of heat to local third parties.

Matt Pullen, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Europe at CyrusOne, stated: "We are continuing to see significant demand from enterprise cloud and AI workloads, and are optimistic about the opportunities in Italy. The country has a strong historic industrial base and is welcoming of new industries. What's more, Italy's power infrastructure can potentially deliver more near-term utility power than many other EU countries, and has planned effectively to ensure its power grid is resilient for the future. This latest acquisition further cements our commitment to providing modern infrastructure in Italy that provides jobs and benefits for the local area."

The development includes a provision to transfer 8,300 square metres of the land to TERNA to facilitate the expansion of the nearby Lambrate substation. This substation is expected to supply a dual active power of 90 MVA at 220 KV from 2028, which will serve both the MIL1 and MIL2 data centres. Additional power capacity from the substation will also support local businesses.

Sustainability features prominently in the design of the new facility, which aims to achieve at least a BREEAM 'Very Good' certification and operate entirely on renewable energy. The centre will incorporate over 500 square metres of solar panels for ancillary power and utilise a closed-loop cooling system to improve energy efficiency further.

Prior to this announcement, CyrusOne had entered the Italian market with the acquisition of an 18.5-acre site in the Municipality of Segrate. The first data centre, MIL1, was announced to deliver 27 megawatts of IT capacity across 9,000 square metres within a single building.