Infrastructure developer HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions and investment manager Palladio Partners have commissioned Germany's second YEXIO data centre in Bad Lippspringe, in the district of Paderborn. The facility initially provides a capacity of two megawatts and is designed to process data decentrally and in close physical proximity to businesses and end users. The objective is to reduce latency times and strengthen the digital infrastructure of the regional economic area.
The project forms part of a broader development initiative comprising a Europe-wide network of 25 decentralised edge data centres. Following the commissioning of the first location in Heiligenhaus, Bad Lippspringe represents the second operational unit. Additional data centres in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria are already under construction. According to the operators, around two-thirds of the existing YEXIO computing capacities have already been marketed.
Solid timber construction and municipal waste heat utilisation
Sustainability aspects were a key focus of the structural design. The building was constructed using solid timber, saving around 600 tonnes of CO2 compared to conventional reinforced concrete. In addition, the waste heat generated during ongoing server operations will be fed into the local district heating network to support local municipal heat supply.
At the opening, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst highlighted that modern data centres form the foundation for competitiveness, innovative strength and digital sovereignty. He noted that the industrial transition towards artificial intelligence requires a dense infrastructure that connects small and medium-sized enterprises across the region. The planned integration of waste heat also demonstrates that computing capacities can be reconciled with sustainable municipal energy concepts.
Infrastructural demands driven by growing computing requirements
Juan Santamaría, CEO of HOCHTIEF, stressed that economic transformation requires infrastructure that combines digital performance with high energy efficiency. Dr Bernd Kreuter, Managing Partner at Palladio Partners, also pointed to the momentum within the segment, noting that data centres are among the fastest-growing infrastructure asset classes, making viable models for sustainable and cost-effective integration into local grids essential as energy demand increases.
- —Location: Bad Lippspringe (district of Paderborn), second hub following Heiligenhaus
- —Capacity: Two megawatts of IT capacity; around two-thirds of capacity pre-let
- —Construction: Solid timber build with 600 tonnes of CO2 savings compared to reinforced concrete
- —Network: Part of a pipeline of 25 edge locations across Europe, with further facilities under construction in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia
