Powering the digital world: the crucial role of cables in data centers

Imagine a bustling metropolis where data circulates as freely as traffic on its busiest avenues. This is the reality of modern data centers: the beating hearts of our digital economy. They are indispensable, powering everything from your favorite streaming platforms to the AI tools transforming industries.

But beneath the surface, a critical component often goes unnoticed: power cables. These cables are the backbone of data centers, ensuring electricity flows reliably and efficiently to fuel our connected world.

Let’s explore why power cables are far more than utility components. In fact, they are strategic assets shaping the future of our digital society.

Let’s dive deeper.

At the core of this intricate system are three key players ensuring uninterrupted power delivery:

• Low Voltage (LV) Cables: These connect various internal equipment, playing a vital role in ensuring smooth operations within the facility.
• Medium Voltage (MV) Cables: Essential for linking data centers to main power supplies or backup generators, MV cables handle higher energy loads with reliability.
• High Voltage (HV) Cables: Designed for large-scale facilities, HV cables transmit significant power over long distances, maintaining system integrity and performance.

Each cable is meticulously designed to withstand the unique demands of this high-pressure environment – reliability, efficiency, and safety are paramount. And while they might seem like a small piece of the puzzle, their impact is enormous.

Indeed, despite accounting for only about 2% to 2.5% of a data center’s total construction costs, the significance of electrical power cables cannot be overstated. Studies have shown that power-related issues are a leading cause of data center outages, with uninterruptible power supply (UPS) failures being a primary contributor.

The financial implications of such outages are substantial:

• The average cost of unplanned data center downtime is approximately $7,900 per minute, translating to over $690,000 for an average incident lasting 86 minutes.
• Over 60% of data center failures result in at least $100,000 in total losses, with the share of outages costing upwards of $1 million increasing from 11% to 15% between 2019 and 2022.

With cable technology constantly evolving, the latest advancements are revolutionizing data center infrastructure by addressing key challenges such as fire safety, energy efficiency, and sustainability.

Here are Nexans 4 groundbreaking innovations:

1. Low-carbon cables:

Nexans is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by offering low-carbon cables that integrate recycled materials, including up to 50% recycled plastic and low-carbon aluminum, with the ambition of incorporating 30% recycled copper in the cables by 2030.

Nexans’ low-carbon cables achieve a 35% to 50% reduction in emissions compared to standard cables, supporting data centers in achieving their environmental goals.

2. Fire Safety technology:

Data centers house high-density equipment, making fire risks a major concern. Electrical faults or obsolete installations account for over 25% of building fires in Europe, causing €25 billion in damages annually.

To enhance safety and reliability, Nexans provides a Fire Safety range compliant with the most demanding international safety regulations. Nexans’ Low Fire-Hazard cables incorporate technologies to minimize fire spread and the release of corrosive smoke, whereas our Fire-Resistant cables are designed to maintain circuit integrity, ensuring the critical safety systems remain operational under extreme temperatures. 

4. Superconducting Cables:

With over 30 years of experience, Nexans’ superconducting solutions provide maximum transmission capacity and efficiency.

Compact yet powerful, these cables are ideal for urban data centers facing space constraints and escalating power demands. They allow grid operators to transfer more power at medium voltage without the need for extensive infrastructure upgrades.

Nexans is at the forefront of these advancements. providing a full spectrum of cables – low, medium, and high voltage – designed to meet the diverse electrical demands of data centers.

A Sustainable Future, Powered by Innovation

Power cables are more than just wires.

The role they play in data centers extends far beyond functionality. They are pivotal to ensuring reliability, improving efficiency, and driving sustainability. As data centers evolve to meet the demands of our increasingly digital world, the innovations in cable technology remain a cornerstone of progress.

From fire-resistant designs to low-carbon materials, superconducting technologies, and smart monitoring systems, the innovations shaping cable infrastructure today are setting the stage for a resilient digital future.

At Nexans, we’re proud to empower data centers with cutting-edge solutions that not only meet today’s challenges but also prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Together, we’re building a more connected, sustainable future – one cable at a time.