In Duchnice near Ozarow Mazowiecki, in a site that only two years ago was an empty plot of land, today stands the first of three buildings of the most modern data centre campus in Poland. Atman, the leader of the Polish data centre market, has officially opened the gates of WAW-3 – an investment with a target value of PLN 2.5 billion, which not only redefines the scale of the Polish IT industry, but also sends a clear signal to the whole of Europe: Poland is becoming the digital heart of the region. The newly opened facility already offers 14.4 MW of power for IT equipment. The opening ceremony, combined with a well-organised guided tour of the facility, was an opportunity to get an up-close look at this technological colossus and understand the vision behind its creation.
The atmosphere at the event was a mix of pride in the completed work and excitement for the future. Guests included industry leaders, representatives from global investment funds, key technology partners and local government representatives.
The launch of the WAW-3 campus is much more than a technological show of force. It is a business move that places Atman and Poland at the centre of the European digital future game. The event was an opportunity to understand how the ambitions of global investors intertwine with local potential to create a project of fundamental importance.
A global vision and a new role for Poland
The perspective of the global investors – the Goldman Sachs and Global Compute funds – was presented by Scott Peterson, Chairman of Atman’s Supervisory Board. In his speech, he made it clear that the ambitions of the project went far beyond the borders of Poland from the very beginning: “We knew we were embarking on something much bigger than just a construction project. We were laying the foundations for a new digital hub, not just for Poland, but for the whole of Central and Eastern Europe.”
His words fit perfectly into a market context in which the traditional European data hubs, known as FLAP-D (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin), are struggling with limited capacity availability. This is what creates a huge opportunity for ‘second wave’ markets, with Warsaw at the forefront. As Peterson noted, Poland in this new reality is no longer just a follower, but a leader: ‘In many respects, Poland is no longer chasing the lead, but is beginning to set the pace’.
Behind the numbers, strategy and global trends, however, there is a simple, fundamental truth, which Sławomir Koszołko, CEO of Atman, decided to bring out in his presentation. Departing from industry jargon, he explained why facilities such as WAW-3 are today an invisible but absolutely key element of our civilisation:
“[…] Data centres are essential for each of us to function normally. Today, we cannot imagine a world without electronic payments, mobile phones, the internet, and even without functioning traffic lights or hospitals. If it were not for data centres, all this infrastructure would cease to function. […]
Many people, even central decision-makers, understand the need for servers, graphics cards or cloud computing. However, when the question is asked where all this should physically be located, consternation often follows. The answer is simple: it is in data centres such as this. This is the foundation of digitalisation.”
Local partnership and financial confirmation of ambitions
This fundamental vision needs solid local foundations. Paweł Kanclerz, Mayor of the Municipality and Town of Ozarow Mazowiecki, proudly emphasised that his municipality was the home of this strategic investment. He also pointed out that the investment was made “with respect for nature, but also for people”.
The scale of the project was reflected in the confidence of financial institutions. Atman has secured a loan of PLN 1.35 billion from a consortium of six entities, one of the largest financings of its kind in the region. Importantly, the loan agreement includes ambitious ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliant commitments, confirming that modern business is not only about profit, but also about responsibility.
The technical dimension – the anatomy of a digital fortress
After the speeches, it was time for what technology enthusiasts like best – a tour of the facility, which allowed us to understand what ‘state-of-the-art data centre’ means in practice. It is in the labyrinth of technical corridors, server rooms and a rooftop full of advanced equipment that the secret to the reliability of the WAW-3 campus lies. We had the pleasure of having as our guide Radosław Poter, board member and CTO at Atman, who outlined the scale of the facility’s innovation with passion and enormous commitment.
Scale and architecture: foundations for a digital future
Atman’s new campus is being built on an impressive 5.5 hectare site. The building that has just been commissioned is the first of three planned, and its parameters are already impressive and show the scale of the whole project:
- IT capacity: 14.4 MW
- IT area: 6 324 m²
- Number of server rooms (Data Halls): 12
When all phases are completed, the campus will offer a total of 43 MW of IT capacity in almost 19,000 m² of space, allowing for the installation of more than 50,000 servers. The architecture of the facility has been designed for maximum flexibility, allowing dedicated zones for the largest customers.
Power supply – non-stop energy
The backbone of a data centre is uninterrupted access to energy, and at WAW-3 the ‘non-stop-data’ philosophy has been implemented in an uncompromising manner.
- Dual main connection: Two independent power lines, each with a capacity of 20 MW, are brought to each building. This is a powerful connection, capable of powering a medium-sized city.
- Redundancy 2N: The power supply architecture is fully redundant. Two independent power supply paths (A and B, designated as white and black sockets in the server room) are supplied to each customer’s server rack. This allows devices with dual power supplies to be connected and ensures continuity of operation even in the event of failure of the entire track.
- Emergency power supply (N+1): In the event of a power failure from both external lines, the powerful generator units start up within seconds. They operate in an N+1 system, meaning that for every six units in operation, there is one backup unit fully ready to take over the load.
- Full autonomy: The accumulated fuel reserves in the underground tanks on site guarantee 48 hours of uninterrupted operation of the entire facility at full load, in accordance with the stringent EN 50600 standard. In addition, Atman has agreements with fuel suppliers that guarantee fuel delivery within 8 hours, which in practice ensures almost infinite autonomy.
Cooling – closed loop efficiency
Keeping thousands of servers at optimum temperature is one of the biggest challenges and the biggest consumer of energy, next to IT itself. Here, WAW-3 is committed to being environmentally friendly and highly efficient.
- Technology: at the heart of the system is closed-cycle precision air conditioning. The cooling medium is so-called ‘chilled water’, a 40% glycol solution that circulates between powerful chillers on the roof and refrigerated cabinets (CRACs) inside the server room.
- Air management: A separation system for ‘cold’ and ‘warm’ aisles is used in the server rooms. Cold air at 24-27°C is forced under the technical floor and supplied through grilles directly into the “cold aisles” in front of the racks. The servers suck it in and the hot air is blown into the enclosed ‘warm aisles’, from where it is extracted and routed back to the cooling units. Such insulation dramatically increases performance.
- Ecology and economy: the facility is powered by 100% renewable energy (based on a guarantee of origin). Thanks to the closed cooling circuit, water consumption is negligible and comparable to the annual consumption of 40 people. Residual heat is recovered and used to heat the offices.
Security – from the fence to cyberspace
Data protection is not just a question of software, but also of a robust physical infrastructure.
- Fire protection: depending on their standards, customers can choose between two extinguishing systems for their space: a state-of-the-art gas system (Inergen) that displaces oxygen, suppressing the fire without damaging electronics, or an advanced water mist system, favoured by major global players.
- Cyber infrastructure security: Atman’s approach to security is uncompromising. The monitoring and management system (SCADA) operates in read-only mode. This means that all parameters can be observed from the monitoring centre, but nothing can be changed remotely. This is a physical barrier that protects the critical infrastructure from remote attacks.
A new chapter for digital Poland
The opening of the WAW-3 campus is more than just the launch of another data centre. It is proof of the maturity of the Polish market, the strategic wisdom of investors and the efficiency of the local administration, which is capable of creating a climate for innovation. Confidence in the project is confirmed by the granting of a PLN 1.35 billion loan to Atman by a consortium of six financial entities, as part of an agreement containing ambitious ESG-compliant commitments.
“The growing demand for digital services and the increasing workloads associated with the use of artificial intelligence require a reliable, easily scalable infrastructure with high computing power. The WAW-3 campus is our answer to these needs – and our advantage. Anticipating market trends, we were the first in Poland to implement a project of this scale and technological sophistication,” adds Slawomir Koszolko.
The event in Duchnice was not the end, however, but only the beginning. As CEO Slawomir Koszolko declared, the company’s appetite for growth is far from satisfied: “This is not the end. We, as Atman, are already looking for further locations and further investments”.
Looking at the scale and technological sophistication of the building, it is hard not to agree with Scott Peterson’s words, which best sum up the significance of the day: “As we celebrate this first building today, let us also celebrate the future it represents – a future of connectivity, innovation and opportunity for us all.”
