Fire in our data center in Almere

(Update May 22, 16:30)

Connection to grid power

We are working to reconnect the data center to the electricity grid as soon as possible. This will take place in several phases.

We will connect Almere 2 first. The current expectation is that this will take place in the week of 25 May. The technical room in Almere 2 was not damaged by the fire and, once it has been connected to the electricity grid, the permanent emergency generators will again serve as back-up.

For Almere 1, we need several more weeks. We expect to be able to connect the first part of Almere 1 to grid power by the end of June, and then have the entire data center running on grid power again by the end of July.

(Update May 20, 16:30)

Restoration of grid power at Almere data center

An investigation into the restoration of grid power shows that we expect to be able to reconnect building 2 to the grid soon. The restoration in building 1 will take more time; this includes the installation of new transformers and UPS systems. On Friday, 22 May, we will know more about the timelines for this process.

(Update May 13, 11:30)

This morning at 9:30 a.m., the temporary, redundant power supply and cooling in our data center in Almere were successfully activated. This marks an important step in the recovery process following the fire on May 7. Our customers’ ICT systems are now being restarted in phases and under controlled conditions.

The analysis for reconnection to the regular power grid has begun. The temporary installation will then remain available as a backup facility. In parallel, specialized experts are conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.

(Update May 12, 15:30)

The final component required to restart the power and cooling systems is currently being installed. This means we are now in the final phase of the technical recovery following last week’s fire.

In parallel, we are preparing to switch our customers’ equipment back on. Our account managers and technical specialists are personally contacting all of our customers in Almere to go through the switch-on procedure and the next steps for tomorrow.

This ensures a controlled and coordinated restart, which is crucial to making the start-up process run smoothly for everyone.

(Update May 11, 9:00)

The temporary, redundant power supply at our location in Almere will be available by Wednesday at 12:00 at the latest. From that moment, customers will be able to switch their systems back on in a controlled manner.

This is later than the timeframe we communicated on Friday, May 8. The reason is a delay in the delivery of a critical component required for the redundant setup. The component is on its way from the European supplier and will arrive in Almere on Tuesday morning. Immediately upon arrival, our technicians will start the installation.

We are deliberately setting up the power supply redundantly from the start, so that the subsequent transition to the regular power grid can take place without any additional interruption.

(Update May 8, 15:45)

Based on the initial findings of the technical investigation, we can provide more clarity on the recovery time. The work to install the power supply and to restore power and cooling to customer equipment in phases is expected to take up to 72 hours. Installing a large number of generators, UPS systems and distribution units, as well as laying more than a kilometer of cable, is a complex operation. Our teams are working day and night to complete this as quickly as possible.

(Update May 8, 10:00)

The first inspections took place last night. It appears that smoke in the halls remained limited. The fire compartmentation prevented the smoke from spreading further through the building.

Our teams are on site and fully focused on restoring power and connectivity. As part of this, external emergency power supplies are being prepared in order to switch the customer equipment back on as soon as it is safe to do so.

(Update 00:35)

The fire brigade has further scaled down the situation to GRIP 0. This means that the emergency services have the situation fully under control and that the building has been partially released, allowing our teams to carry out their work.

Our experts are on site and are continuing to assess the damage. Based on this, we will determine which steps are needed for the definitive restoration of the power supply.

The provision of a temporary power supply has been initiated, and our teams are working on the preparations for its placement and connection.

We will inform you again as soon as we have more clarity on the expected recovery time.

(Update 20:50)

The fire at our data center in Almere has been scaled down to GRIP 1 and the NL-Alert has been withdrawn. This means that the fire is under control.

Later this evening, we will be allowed to enter the building to carry out an initial inspection. Our teams are ready to start work immediately as soon as this is possible. During the inspection, we will assess the damage and determine what is needed to restore the power supply and connectivity as quickly as possible.

(Update 18:30)

The situation is currently unchanged. The fire brigade is expected to need some more time to get the fire under control and release the building.

As soon as this is possible, we will immediately start a technical investigation and take emergency measures. Our teams have worked out several scenarios to restore the power supply as quickly as possible.

As soon as the location is accessible, a new update will follow with more information about the expected recovery time.

(Update 15:15)

The fire that broke out on Thursday, May 7 at around 08:45 at NorthC’s data center on Rondebeltweg in Almere has not yet been extinguished. The fire brigade has indicated that it will need several more hours to get the fire fully under control and to safely release the building. At this moment, it is therefore not yet possible to enter the building. As soon as the location has been released, NorthC will immediately start a technical investigation to determine the impact and to take appropriate emergency measures.

In parallel, NorthC’s teams are working on various scenarios to restore the power supply as soon as possible. As soon as access to the location has been restored, customers will receive a follow-up update with more information about the situation and the expected recovery time.

The fire is raging at the rear of the building, where the technical facilities are located. At this moment, nothing can be said with certainty about the cause of the fire or the exact extent of the damage to the infrastructure.

Original message

On Thursday morning, May 7, a fire broke out at around 08:45 at our data center on Rondebeltweg in Almere. The safety of those present and the surrounding area currently has the highest priority.

Immediately after the report, the applicable safety protocols were activated and the building was evacuated. The emergency services arrived quickly on site and are currently fighting the fire and the smoke. As far as is currently known, there have been no injuries.

Alexandra Schless, CEO NorthC Datacenters, says: “All people present were evacuated from the building in time. We are working closely with the fire brigade and the safety region to bring the situation under control.”

At this moment, nothing can be said with certainty about the cause of the fire or the exact extent of the damage to the infrastructure. NorthC’s technical teams are closely monitoring the status of the services. Customers who are directly affected by this incident are being kept informed via the regular channels and the customer portal. The customer service team is operating at full capacity to answer customer questions and maintain direct contact.

We will provide further updates as soon as more verified information is available about the situation and the impact on data center operations.