Kao Data's Harlow Campus

Chapter 3: Data Center Case Studies

Global Models for AI-Driven, Sustainable Infrastructure

As AI workloads become increasingly energy- and compute-intensive, the world’s leading technology companies are rethinking how and where data centers are built. This chapter showcases three case studies— Meta’s Project Cosmo , DayOne’s SIJORI strategy , and Kao Data’s Harlow campus —each demonstrating a different approach to high-performance, sustainable, AI-centric infrastructure development.

3.1 Meta’s Project Cosmo (Cheyenne, Wyoming)

Meta’s newest facility, Project Cosmo , exemplifies a next-generation, AI-specific data center model.

Key Facts:

Size : 715,000 sq. ft

Investment : $800 million

Operational Year : 2027

Power Source : 100% renewable (solar farm + energy trading partnership)

Cooling : Closed-loop liquid system (minimal water use)

Strategic Advantages:

Located in Cheyenne, Wyoming , selected for its cool climate , low taxes , and supportive regulatory environment .

Backed by a $1.2 billion solar energy project from Enbridge with 1.2 million panels and battery storage.

Integrated into Black Hills Energy’s real-time trading market (California ISO’s WEIM) for flexible energy sourcing.

Community Impact:

Meta committed to building sewer and water lines , and to not exceed the water usage of a typical 100-person business .

Grazing-compatible solar array design preserves some agricultural land use.

This case shows how AI-specific infrastructure, sustainability, and community partnerships are converging in modern hyperscale builds.

3.2 DayOne in the SIJORI Region (Singapore–Johor–Riau Islands)

DayOne, a Chinese technology infrastructure company, is executing a hub-and-spoke data center strategy across the SIJORI triangle — combining connectivity in Singapore, low-cost operations in Malaysia, and expansion capacity in Indonesia.

SIJORI Strategy Highlights:

Singapore : High-density hub in Jurong East; 20MW capacity; powered by hydrogen-ready fuel cells.

Johor, Malaysia : 120MW across two campuses; serves as cost-effective overflow for Singapore.

Batam, Indonesia : 72MW campus with direct subsea cable access to Singapore; built in collaboration with the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA).

Why it Matters:

DayOne leverages geographic synergy : regulatory strength in Singapore, low costs in Johor, and abundant land in Batam.

Its Batam campus is the first in Asia specifically designed for AI workloads .

DayOne aims to reach 100% renewable energy use by 2030, pioneering sustainability in Asia’s digital infrastructure market.

This model demonstrates how companies can de-risk energy and capacity challenges through regional distribution and diversification .

3.3 Kao Data’s Harlow Campus (United Kingdom)

Kao Data, based in the UK, has built the region’s first AI-native data center platform , optimized for high-density, GPU-intensive workloads like machine learning and high-performance computing (HPC).

Facility Highlights:

Location : Harlow, UK (15-acre campus)

Capacity : 40MW IT load

Design : Supports up to 80kW per rack and 480kW across AI pods

Cooling : Direct-to-chip liquid cooling (30% energy savings)

Power Use Effectiveness (PUE) : 1.2

Sustainability Commitments:

100% renewable electricity since 2018

Direct power matching with a wind farm in Kent

Use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for backup generators

Transitioning to local Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)

Strategic Connectivity:

Carrier-neutral with ultra-low latency to major cloud providers

<2ms latency to major European exchange points (e.g. London Internet Exchange)

Regulatory Alignment:

Fully compliant with UK energy and data protection laws

Classified as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

Kao Data illustrates how purpose-built AI data centers can balance cutting-edge performance, compliance, and environmental goals in mature markets.

Chapter Takeaways

Meta is setting a new bar for sustainability and local integration in the U.S.

DayOne shows the power of regional optimization and speed-to-market in Asia.

Kao Data exemplifies how Europe is addressing AI demands with low-latency, high-density, and climate-conscious facilities.

Each case reflects a shift toward AI-optimized, renewable-powered, and policy-aligned infrastructure —providing blueprints for the global data center industry.