Colt Frankfurt 3 Hyperscale Data Centre: Germany Expansion Specs
Status: Under Construction / Phased Delivery | Location: Wilhelm-Fay-Straße, 65936 Frankfurt am Main (Sossenheim), Germany
Project Overview
The Colt Frankfurt 3 Data Centre is a major hyperscale digital infrastructure facility developed by Colt Data Centre Services in Sossenheim, one of Frankfurt’s established digital infrastructure clusters in Germany. Covering approximately 17,500 m² of gross floor area across a technical basement and three data hall levels, the multi-story facility is designed to provide substantial computing capacity for cloud platforms, artificial intelligence workloads, high-performance computing, and other mission-critical enterprise applications. The site delivers approximately 32.4 MW of IT power, providing the high-density electrical capacity required to support modern computing environments and increasingly power-intensive AI infrastructure. Built to Colt Tier III standards, Frankfurt 3 incorporates a resilient electrical architecture designed to maintain operational continuity during equipment failures and planned maintenance activities. Its power infrastructure includes 3N/4 (N+1) distributed redundant UPS systems and N+N electrical distribution, creating multiple layers of backup and fault tolerance across the facility. Connectivity is another key component of the development, with the data centre operating on a carrier-neutral model that enables customers to select from multiple telecommunications and network providers. The facility provides direct optical connectivity to DE-CIX, one of the world’s major internet exchange platforms, supporting efficient network peering and low-latency data transfer. Access to global cloud gateways further enables enterprises and service providers to connect their colocation environments with major cloud ecosystems and distributed digital services. Located within Frankfurt’s strategically important data center market, the facility benefits from the city’s dense concentration of telecommunications infrastructure, financial institutions, enterprises, and network operators. With its high IT capacity, resilient Tier III architecture, advanced power redundancy, and extensive carrier-neutral connectivity, Colt Frankfurt 3 provides a scalable infrastructure platform for cloud, AI, HPC, and enterprise workloads across Germany and the wider European market.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Colt Frankfurt 3 Hyperscale Data Centre: Germany Expansion Specs |
| Location | Wilhelm-Fay-Straße, 65936 Frankfurt am Main (Sossenheim), Germany |
| Status | Under Construction / Phased Delivery |
| Commissioning | Groundbreaking November 2023; Phased Phase 1 Delivery |
| Total IT Load | 32.4 MW Critical IT Load Capacity |
| Total Capacity | 17,500 m² (~188,368 sq ft) Gross Floor Area across 9 x 1,000 m² Data Halls |
| Tier Level | Colt Tier 3 Specification (Concurrently Maintainable) |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Hyperscale Data Centre & High-Performance Computing (HPC / AI) Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
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| City Name | Frankfurt am Main |
| Population | ~790,000 (City) / 5.6M (Metro Region) |
| Urban Agglomeration | nan |
| City GDP | ~€75 Billion |
| Per Capita Income | €95,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 1 Global Hub; Primary European Connectivity Node |
| Key Strengths | Home to DE-CIX Frankfurt, the world’s leading internet exchange. In 2025, it handles peaks above 200 terabits of connected capacity, providing ultra-low latency (<1 ms) for financial and AI workloads. |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
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| Developer / Operator | Colt Data Centre Services |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | DE-CIX (German Commercial Internet Exchange), Mainova / Regional Grid Operators |
| Construction Contractor | Cundall (MEP/Engineering Consultancy) & Specialized Mission-Critical General Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | Colt DCS Global Engineering & Cundall Engineering Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Carrier-neutral facility with multiple path-diverse optical fiber entry points, dedicated Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs), dark fiber availability, direct high-density connections to DE-CIX and Sossenheim telecom backbones, and low-latency cloud-on-ramps. |
| Power Infrastructure | Redundant high-voltage grid connections, 3N/4 (N+1) Diesel Rotary (DR) UPS infrastructure, N+N electrical power distribution, automatic transfer switches (ATS), and N+1 emergency backup generators with multi-day dedicated fuel storage. |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
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| Power Capacity | ~40 MVA Total Utility Grid Provision / 32.4 MW Critical IT Capacity |
| UPS Redundancy | 3N/4 (N+1) DR UPS Architecture & N+N Power Distribution Paths |
| Cooling System | High-efficiency mechanical cooling systems engineered for liquid cooling and hybrid air/liquid HPC/AI rack density deployment, with closed-loop dry coolers, precision CRAH units, and compliance with ASHRAE thermal guidelines. |
| Connectivity | Sub-millisecond direct fiber connectivity to Frankfurt's central financial district and core European network exchange routes. |
| PUE Target | <1.30 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | 100% Certified Green Renewable Energy in line with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero commitments. |
Milestones
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| Announcement | Q4 2023 |
| Construction Start | November 21, 2023 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Phased Rollout |
| Full Buildout | Active Multi-Phase Hyperscale Deployment |
Investment Details
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| Total Investment | ~$150,000,000 – $200,000,000 USD (Estimated Total Hyperscale Capital Expenditure) |
| Funding | Corporate Capital Expenditure (Colt DCS / Fidelity Investments) |