4D Data Centres helps PeaSoup to disrupt the UK cloud market

4D Data Centres has formed a partnership with PeaSoup, a pioneering UK cloud provider with a heritage of disrupting the cloud market by the use of innovative technologies. In this partnership, 4D is providing colocation services to host an highly energy-efficient “pod” that uses immersion cooling technology. Both companies share a vision to provide the UK cloud and data centre markets with low carbon footprint solutions.

This innovative immersion pod will be colocated at 4D's award-winning data centre near Gatwick airport. The deployment will enable PeaSoup to provide HPC cloud services from a tier-3 green data centre, a service called the Eco Cloud.

Jack Bedell-Pearce, CEO at 4D Data Centres, says: “Colocation data centres are the green option for eco-conscious businesses and 4D is committed to its responsibilities towards the environment. Immersion cooling is a solution that fits perfectly with our sustainable strategy for a number of reasons. Aside from reducing risks of overheating, immersion cooling’s efficiency means it is able to cool high-density computer systems without increased power consumption. It also represents a greener alternative to other cooling methods, which will use more power to cool the same amount of processing capability.”

He continues: “As an authority on High-Performance Computing (HPC) hosting solutions, 4D was keen to help PeaSoup deliver its cloud services and achieve its sustainable goals by finding a cooling solution that was both effective and eco-friendly.”

The end result is an innovative solution that combines the strengths of 4D’s tier-3 data centre and immersion cooling technology. Immersion cooling is a process that sees computer components or even full servers being immersed in a dielectric liquid that enables higher heat transfer performance than air.

For the installation at the Gatwick site, the “pod” uses a biodegradable dielectric fluid – that has half the density of water – and heat exchangers to cool down IT equipment. The fluid is kept cool by using intercoolers and water, via an internal heat exchanger that extracts heat from the fluid and redistributes it into chill water, which is subsequently pumped away and cooled down again in 4D’s adiabatic cooling towers, a similar process is used in the automotive/machinery industry. The end result is a sustainable solution that is aligned with both 4D and PeaSoup’s values.

Jack elaborates further on the benefits of the technology: “Immersion cooling is not commonly encountered in colocation data centres, and the technology is mostly only available to companies with the cooling infrastructure to host one of these units. By offering immersion cooling to our clients and their end customers, 4D is making green technology available to a wider variety of companies.”

Martin Bradburn, MD at PeaSoup, says: “We’re on a mission to establish ourselves as an Eco Cloud Services Provider and therefore, while it is, of course, important that we’re able to deliver a high level of performance, reliability and stability, we also cannot overlook our commitment to the environment. Working with 4D has enabled us to commercialise immersion cooling in UK data centres, therefore allowing us to pioneer the UK cloud market with Eco Cloud, and make our commitments to adopt more sustainable technologies that are aligned with the Government aggressive net-zero carbon emission agenda by 2050.”

Jack concludes: “As demand for high-performance computing continues to grow, we are very excited to be working with companies like PeaSoup who are pushing us and cooling technology suppliers to explore the boundaries of what is possible.”