Life on the North Atlantic island is chilly, foggy, and windy all year round. And while they may have to wrap up warm, and are unlikely to get a tan, Icelanders have acknowledged that their natural cold climate is ideal for one particular industry: data.
Iceland’s data-centre industry is booming, and there are many reasons why this may be seen as a favourable location.
Not only does the country’s cool climate help drive energy costs down, but Iceland’s sustainable mix of geothermal and hydroelectric power generation could help businesses to minimise their carbon footprint, says Data Centers by Iceland, a public-private partnership established between the Association of Icelandic Data Centers (DCI) and other stakeholders to promote and improve the competitiveness of data-centre development in the country.
Greentech promoter Green by Iceland notes that 70 per cent of the country's electricity is produced with hydropower and the remaining 30 per cent with...