Skellefteå Data Center Project

A data center is a facility that houses computer systems and related equipment, such as servers and storage devices, forming the digital infrastructure that stores, manages, and processes large amounts of data. Think of it as a digital warehouse where businesses keep their critical information and applications safe and accessible. It’s where the fiber, cable, and mobile networks then interconnect to the companies and applications that we access on our phones, laptops, vehicles, and other devices.

Nearly everything you do online runs through a data center: video calls with family, tele-health appointments, online banking, streaming, navigation, school assignments, and the AI tools people increasingly rely on every day. Data centers are the foundation of the modern digital economy, quietly powering the services that homes, hospitals, schools, and businesses depend on.

EdgeConneX is a global provider of digital infrastructure services focused on energy-efficient and sustainable solutions. Founded in 2009, the company develops and operates facilities across North and South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with more than 90 data centers built and in development across 60+ markets. EdgeConneX is owned by EQT, a Swedish global investment organization that invests in companies providing essential services to society.

EdgeConneX sustainably builds purpose-built facilities, designed around the confirmed needs of its customers. This means capacity, power, and infrastructure are only built where there is actual demand, avoiding oversized or underused facilities.

Ours don’t. 93% of our global portfolio uses dry, air-cooled systems or closed-loop recycled liquid systems, not once-through or evaporative systems. A closed-loop system works like the radiator in your car, once it’s filled, the same water circulates continuously, so we aren’t constantly drawing from the local supply. Our closed-loop approach adheres to responsible design standards, even in water-stressed regions.

Data centers bring high-value, stable jobs, during construction and long after. Once operational, an EdgeConneX facility has full-time onsite staff, plus ongoing roles in security, maintenance, facility management, and site upkeep. Our customers also maintain a permanent presence with their own technical teams, which in our experience usually exceeds EdgeConneX’s own staff count.

Beyond direct employment, a data center requires constant, primarily locally sourced maintenance and services. Plumbing, electrical, roofing, landscaping, cleaning, catering, and more create steady, recurring demand for local businesses and tradespeople. Because data centers are long-term investments, they also position a region as a hub for business and innovation, attracting additional investment and development over time, all while generating local tax revenue with relatively little demand on schools, roads, and public services.

Being a good neighbor is core to how we operate. We prioritize sites that already have industrial zoning, work closely with local officials from the start, and share accurate information with residents about water use, noise, emissions, and habitat preservation. During construction, we manage noise, traffic, dust, and lighting proactively and keep residents informed with regular updates.

We also invest in the next generation: our education coalition with Hello World and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA, along with global partners, brings STEM curriculum and mentorship into local school districts, with a goal of reaching 1 million students by 2030. Recent community projects include helping provide more than 50,000 bottles of water in greater Phoenix, planting 1,700 native trees in Dublin, a Blue Carbon initiative in Malaysia, and employing veterans at our data centers through our partnership with Salute.

A samråd, or consultation, is a step required by the Swedish Environmental Code before a company can apply for an environmental permit. It gives authorities, organizations, businesses, and residents the chance to learn about the project and to comment on it, including what the environmental impact assessment should look at before that assessment is written. After the consultation, comments are reviewed and reflected in the assessment before the application is submitted to the Land and Environment Court.

You can submit comments in writing through the web form or in person at our open house on 5 November: 17:00 to 20:00. Our environmental consultant, Sweco, records all comments. All comments are compiled in a consultation report attached to the permit application, allowing the court and authorities to review what was raised, and how it was considered in the environmental impact assessment.

Only in a closed loop. The data center is cooled with a closed water-based system, not evaporative cooling. A closed loop works like the radiator in a car: once it is filled, the same water circulates over and over again and is not released or evaporated. The amount of water in the system stays stable, so we are not continuously drawing water from the local supply to cool the servers, and we will not use the Skellefte River for our operations.

Close to the buildings, you will hear a steady, low hum from the cooling and ventilation equipment. The backup generators are tested about once a month; the sound is more noticeable then, but occasional and brief. A noise study is part of the environmental impact assessment and will show how far the sound carries. We will meet all noise limits, and if noise turns out to be an issue, we will take measures to reduce it. If you have any concerns, please contact us.

To keep the data center running without interruption if something goes wrong on the grid. The servers run services that people depend on around the clock, such as payments, healthcare systems, and communications, so they are never switched off. Power cuts are rare, but if one happens, the generators carry the load until grid power returns. In normal operation, they only run for short tests and maintenance. We intend to use HVO, a renewable diesel that can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 percent over its life cycle compared with fossil diesel.

At the peak of construction, around 1,500 people could be working on the project, from the region. Once the project has been completed we expect over a 1.000 people to work here, counting our own team, our customers’ staff and the specialist service companies that maintain the facility. The jobs are mainly in operations and maintenance, electrical and mechanical engineering, IT, and security: skilled, year-round, and long-term. We want to hire locally, and we will work with schools and educators to build training routes into these jobs.

We want to work with local companies as much as possible. Together with our general contractor, we held our first supplier event in Skellefteå, and more are planned. For more information, please visit https://samrad.sweco.se/edgeconnex

EdgeConneX plans to support a long-term education initiative in computer science, AI and digital skills for children and young people in the Skellefteå area. It will be adapted to local needs and existing work in Skellefteå. We are currently exploring how best to develop the program together with relevant local partners, with the ambition to begin activities in early 2027.