BBVA inaugurates one of the world's most advanced data processing centers
BBVA is pleased to announce the operational launch of its new data processing center (DPC) in Tres Cantos (Madrid, Spain), which houses the complete technological infrastructure underpinning the Group’s business in Europe. The facility is one of the world’s most advanced DPCs, with dual Tier IV certification (for design and construction) verifying that it offers optimal levels of reliability and safety.
BBVA’s Tres Cantos facility is the first DPC in Europe and the fourth anywhere in the world to receive this double certification, which the Uptime Institute assigns to data processing centers that feature optimal levels of reliability and safety.
Growth
The Group’s targets for expansion in coming decades and BBVA’s firm commitment to information technologies were the two main drivers convincing the bank of the need to build a new DPC in Tres Cantos, adjacent the lender's original facility.
BBVA’s new DPC, which spans 20,000 square meters, doubles and has room to triple the density of equipment the previous facility was able to house. Indeed, the new DPC hosts equipment consisting of up to 10,000 high-end processors, vs. 4,800 at the old center.
“This data processing center is prepared to provide BBVA with vast capacity for growth in coming decades," said Javier Viñuales, BBVA's director of Technology and Operations. “The facility features top-of-the-range levels of reliability and safety, placing BBVA at the technological cutting edge.”
Technological challenge
The data processing hub boasts several unique characteristics showcasing the latest developments in energy efficiency and safety. Indeed, the site offers two levels of redundancy to safeguard against adverse events, a dual protection approach which ensures that its operations can continue uninterrupted.
In the event of an electricity outage, self-powering energy systems would activate, rendering the center self sufficient for up to 95 hours thanks to its eight electricity generators fuelled by 240,000 liters of stored diesel oil. Meanwhile, the site’s air conditioning systems, with capacity of 17,760 kVA, have several redundancy levels to guarantee that the building continues to be cooled in the event of an emergency. The center is also outfitted with basement-level water tanks which guarantee it 10 minutes of cold water supplies to cool the machines until electricity systems are restored.
Another of the major breakthroughs making the facility unique is its self-powering energy capabilities
Another of the major breakthroughs making the facility unique is its self-powering energy capabilities, which include a complete electrical substation with available capacity of 16MW, enough energy to power 3,500 households.
The Tres Cantos site also features advanced energy efficiency features. During the coldest months of the year, cold air from outside the building is tapped by auto-cooling equipment which pre-chills the water used in cooling systems. The heat given off by equipment inside the building is re-used for heating. The facility is also outfitted with solar panels to meet some of its energy needs. The computer room is divided into cold and hot passageways to optimize cooling and heating system performance.
Improved safety
The new site represents a significant improvement in safety terms. The layout of the CPD's new main room exceeds the requirements for Tier IV certification. The false roof, in addition to protecting the facility from water leaks and accidents, serves as a foundation for the machines located on the roof, minimizing the need for pillars in the main room.
Fire curtains are strategically located to protect the equipment in the event of a fire. All essential components are located on elevated surfaces to avoid flood damage.
The DPC’s key figures:
-The DPC’s total surface area: 20,000m2, or 2.6 times the size of Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu soccer stadium
-Its construction required 32,000m3 of cement, 3,700 tons of steel, or 500 tons of rolled steel, enough to build a train track from Madrid to Beijing
-The building’s cable systems required 215 kilometers of copper wire and 694 kilometers of fiber optic lines
-The site includes an electricity substation with capacity to power a town of 3,500 households (available capacity totals 16 MW)
-The facility is outfitted with eight electricity generators fuelled by 240,000 liters of diesel oil, which enable the DPC to generate its own power for 96 hours in the event of a breakdown in its electricity supply
-The site can house 10,000 high-range processors, vs. the old building’s 4,800-unit capacity