Construction Magazine June 2018 | Page 93

CONSTRUCTION
Chemical industry Delfzijl

THE ONGOING demand for connectivity has led to an exponential boom within the energy sector , thanks largely to the launch of data centres worldwide . The communications industry is set to absorb up to 20 % of the world ’ s electricity by 2025 , as businesses and consumers depend on the increased use of digital data to fuel business growth .

Europe has become a significant player , where competition remains rife in an area of unprecedented potential .
“ A major change is that it ’ s no longer big telecom operators or state-owned telecom companies who are investing in connectivity , it ’ s mostly commercially driven . In particular , there are big investments coming from the data centre sector itself ,” explains Robert Van Tuinen , Manager for Energy & Dataport at Groningen Seaports .
Consisting of two seaports , the port of Delfzijl and Eemshaven , as well as two inland ports , Farmsumerhaven and Oosterhornhaven , Van Tuinen has led the growth of one of Europe ’ s largest energy hubs for data and a growing offshore wind sector . The 1,319 hectare site at Eemshaven has been transformed into an area of international significance within the
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