Nexus Datacenter

Beacon of renewable energy

On the grounds of the Research Park in Zellik, the VUB, the UZ Brussel, Green Energy Park vzw and Ghelamco opened the first sustainable by design data center. On the grounds of the Research Park in Zellik, the VUB, the UZ Brussel, Green Energy Park vzw and Ghelamco opened the first sustainable by design data center.

Maximum energy efficiency
The Nexus Data Center was designed by Robust Architecture and Research. The building is almost 11,000 m2 in size and spread over 10 building layers, so that the footprint remains limited. It focuses on maximum energy efficiency: the energy used is 100% renewable in origin and partly generated locally. Heat from the servers is recovered, rainwater is used for cooling and circular materials were used throughout the building. 

From the second floor up, the south façade is completely clad in solar panels, which face alternately east and west. The air supply to the upper technical floor is through a hollow space behind the panels. These forced air flows cool the panels, which increases their energy output.

Testing ground for sustainable solutions
Green Energy Park vzw thus aims to create a large-scale testing ground where companies, research institutions, governments and users work together in co-creation on innovative and sustainable solutions to societal challenges. The research focuses on four areas: the transition to green energy and mobility, the hospital of the future, digital issues such as smart cities and digital technologies based on AI and biotechnology. 

Besides the servers of the UZ Brussel and the VUB, there is also room for the new Flemish supercomputer, which will be in use from 2025. Ghelamco, meanwhile, sold the data center to Dutch data center investor Penta Infra.