Hi there Peder! Tell us a little bit more about Bulk, and your mission?
- Bulk Infrastructure was established in 2006 and is a leading provider of sustainable digital infrastructure in the Nordics. Our headquarter is in Oslo with operational teams and sites in other places in the Nordics. We are organized into three business areas, Industrial Real Estate, Fiber Networks, and Data Centers. Over the years, we have developed more than 500 thousand sqm of industrial buildings including 150 hectares of zones land for data center expansion across our three sites, with 428MW committed available energy, as well as 10,000kms of subsea and terrestrial fiber networks. We have a customer portfolio ranging from specialized local players to global giants within their fields and own strategic land parcels in several Nordic countries.
"WE ARE DEDICATED TO OUR VISION - RACING TO BRING SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE"
-Peder Naerboe, Founder and exec. Chairman, Bulk Infrastructure
Bifrost Summit 2024 theme is “Innovations for a sustainable future” with topics like “AI as a key enhancer”, Sustainable Societies, and “Decarbonization”. Within your industry, which innovations and technological breakthrough are Bulk exploring?
-In our commitment to our vision, we consistently strive to provide sustainable solutions and minimize our environmental footprint. Bulk is leading the way with three groundbreaking projects.
The "Bulk Wood" project redefines warehouse construction, significantly reducing carbon footprints. Based on our standardized warehouse-module, we replace the supporting steel structure with short-standing glulam timber. Giving the finished building up to 50 percent lower carbon footprint than an equivalent reference warehouse building.
At our Oslo data center, we are raising the standard for energy consumption transparency by offering customers 24/7 Power Matching. Matching consumption every hour of every day. Enabling the move from buying renewable energy to match annual consumption.
Our exciting Leif Erikson system, connecting Norway and Canada, is set to be the first trans-Atlantic system powered entirely by 100% renewable energy, marking a milestone in environmentally conscious digital connectivity.
Within your industry, which emerging trends do you see are gaining momentum?
- As the data-driven industry, fuelled by cloud technology, expands, and innovative applications like the metaverse, AI, Deep Learning, and high-end gaming become mainstream, there is a significant increase in data storage and processing. We are seeing this technological shift push industry-wide initiatives to address the strain that power-hungry applications place on congested power grids and water.
With power availability restrictions and legislative changes impacting companies, there is a proactive shift from transferring gigawatts to moving gigabytes, to more sustainable and cost-effective locations. In the Nordic data center market, we are seeing a substantial capacity expansion driven by the growing demand from international businesses for AI/HPC data processing and storage infrastructure, because of the region’s power availability/reliability, sustainable credentials and lower TCO.
This growth in data processing and storage is also driving investments in underlying fiber infrastructure, including high-capacity transcontinental fiber optic cables crucial for seamless data flows across Europe in the trans-Atlantic economy. Projects like the Leif Erikson Cable System by Bulk illustrates this growth, providing a direct link between Stavanger, Norway, and Happy Valley, Goose Bay, Newfoundland.
As environmental concerns take center stage, the location of data centers becomes a key focus on the political agenda. Policymakers are shaping and standardizing reporting frameworks, elevating expectations for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data. As a result, the importance of companies' ESG disclosure and reporting is increasing to meet expectations from regulators, customers, and investors, particularly for those handling large amounts of data.
Ensuring sustainable technology-driven change is essential for lasting value in digitization, both economically and environmentally. Given the pivotal role of electrification and digitization in achieving a net-zero future, the location where data is transferred and processed has never been more critical.
What motivated Bulk to partner up with Bifrost Summit?
- Innovation Norway has been a key partnership for Bulk and our decision to collaborate with the Bifrost Summit this year was motivated by a shared commitment in sustainability, in the context of infrastructure. Participating in an event that shines a spotlight on the Nordic region and showcases its leading sustainability credentials to a dynamic US business hub is very exciting.
The opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with fellow Nordic representatives and delegates is highly valuable, especially the pivotal role that sustainable business choices can play in shaping the environmental impact of human activities, as well as the incorporation of new technologies like Gen AI.
