atNorth Sustainability Report Shows Nordic Expansion Promise

Having published its 2024 Sustainability Report, atNorth states it remains committed to advancing sustainability, energy efficiency and community engagement. 

The data centre service provider has outlined its vision for the future of data centres in its report to showcase its achievements in environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, whilst also promoting the transparency and accountability of its operations.

Notably, it experienced sustained growth in 2024 and now operates seven data centres in four out of the five Nordic countries, with five additional sites currently under development.

As it continues to scale its business, atNorth’s report outlines how its evolving sustainability strategy will be built around boundaries defined by the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

“atNorth is entering a new phase of market leading development,” shares Cora Olsen, Director of Sustainability at atNorth. 

“By focusing on a holistic strategy, we can go beyond risk mitigation to actively taking part in restorative and supportive initiatives that benefit the local environment and community”.

Prioritising heat reuse

Guided by the Future-Fit Framework, atNorth’s sustainability strategy moving forward will focus on three key pillars – Planet, People and Business Conduct. This, the company says, will be essential for driving critical progress towards its core goals.

Planet:

atNorth's average PUE currently sits at 1.28, slightly over its target of 1.2 but well below the industry average of 1.56. 

Likewise, the report notes that the company is reporting on Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) for the first time, measuring below 0.1 L/kWh, which is significantly below the industry average of approximately 1.8 L/kWh.

The report also highlights that its Scope 1 and 2 emissions totalled 704 and 3,200 metric tons respectively in 2024. This year, atNorth says the business is reporting on Scope 3 emissions for the first time, which amounts to 1,300 metric tons.

atNorth has developed a strong data centre blueprint that focuses on responsible development. Significantly, its DEN02 mega site plans to restore on campus nature and biodiversity, whilst also supporting colocation and build-to-suit projects for hyperscalers that run AI and HPC workloads.

The company is aiming to harness renewable energy farms close to the DEN02 site, whilst supporting Denmark’s aim of being a low-carbon society and independent of fossil fuels by 2050.

Having been a heat reuse advocate for some time, atNorth secured three mega sites in 2024 and formed multiple heat reuse partnerships to further lower the carbon footprint of its operations. This included collaborations with Wa3rm and Hringvarmi to recycle excess heat to grow vegetables in nearby greenhouses.

People:

According to its report, atNorth experienced a 68% increase in employees in 2024, lower turnover and improved employee satisfaction (7.5 to 8.1 on a 0 to 10 scale). The company’s Equality Policy supports a diverse team of ~20 nationalities and women in leadership has increased from 18% to 30%.

The company says it is eager to maintain good corporate citizenship within the communities it operates and supports various social initiatives in 2024, including mental health programs, social harm prevention and local football clubs.

Business Conduct:

In order to achieve this step, atNorth joined the UN Global Compact in 2024 to guide its corporate responsibility strategy, aligning with UN and OECD guidelines.

Additionally, the company strengthened its sustainable procurement procedures, ensuring suppliers follow its Supplier Code of Conduct.

How atNorth is growing

atNorth is committed to creating data centre ecosystems that are central to thriving, self-sustaining economies and contribute to a better world, the company shares in its report.

Notably, the data centre company is advancing its operations across the Nordic region, including expanding its footprint in Sweden with a new mega data centre in Långsele, Sollefteå Municipality.

Part of this new development is that atNorth has secured a 30-hectare plot in Hamre Industripark, as it seeks to reinforce Sweden’s position as a hub for sustainable, high-performance computing (HPC). 

This project is also designed to run on 100% renewable energy.

“The data centre industry is at a critical juncture,” says Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO at atNorth. “It’s not enough to reduce our environmental impact; we must actively contribute to restorative efforts for our planet’s future. 

“Our Sustainability Report reflects our vision of ‘more compute for a better world’ and our commitment to responsible, sustainable operations and continuous improvement.”

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