atNorth expands in Akureyri and partners on sustainability initiative

Article published by Vikubladid The Tech Capital July 3.

The expansion of atNorth’s Akureyri data center is progressing strongly, with the first phase now ready for operation. Alongside this development, atNorth has broken ground on a new service building to support its growing team in the region. The facility, located west of the current campus, is scheduled for completion next year and reflects atNorth’s long-term commitment to Akureyri, where a third of its Iceland-based staff are located. Anna Kristín Pálsdóttir, Director of Development and Innovation at atNorth, officially launched the project by turning the first shovel of soil at the groundbreaking ceremony.

In parallel, atNorth has entered into a new sustainability agreement with the Town of Akureyri to utilize waste heat from the data center for community use. The first project will provide heat for a greenhouse focused on ecological cultivation and sustainability education for local schoolchildren. The initiative is a collaboration between atNorth, Akureyri, Ferro Zink, and the Akureyri Cultivation Center, and is facilitated by Eimur, a regional development association promoting innovation and resource optimization in North Iceland.

Ásthildur Sturludóttir, Mayor of Akureyri, emphasized the importance of the initiative:
“We place great emphasis on Akureyri becoming a leader in energy efficiency and sustainability. This collaboration with atNorth and Eim is a key step in that journey, and the opportunities that come with an agreement to utilize waste heat from the data center are extremely important for the municipality.”

Karen Mist Kristjánsdóttir, project manager at Eimur, added:
“This project is very exciting and hopefully just the first step of many in the effort to harness unused resources for real value creation in the region. The agreement is unique and clearly shows what is possible when municipalities, institutions and companies work together on innovation that promotes sustainability.”

This partnership underscores the environmental and societal value that can be created when data center infrastructure is integrated thoughtfully into the local community.

Read the whole article in Icelandic here.