A data center is a physical facility housing the IT infrastructure needed for storing, processing, and distributing digital data, including AI model training and inference. It includes servers, storage systems, networking equipment, routers and switches, cooling systems, UPS units, and redundant power infrastructure. Types include enterprise (on-premises), colocation, hyperscale (operated by major cloud providers), and edge data centers deployed close to end users to minimize network latency.

Cables form the invisible yet fundamental infrastructure connecting every component in a data center. A faulty cable on a critical power circuit can trigger a cascading failure affecting thousands of servers, at a cost reaching $500,000 per hour of downtime. With 45% of major incidents having an electrical root cause, cable quality, standards compliance, and traceability are essential for ensuring service continuity. And yet cabling systems represent only 2 to 2.5% of total project investment, for a 100% impact on reliability. (Source: Nexans internal market study)

LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) cables are the gold standard for data centers: they limit flame spread, emit no hydrochloric acid, and generate significantly reduced toxic fumes during a fire. Nexans offers a comprehensive range certified under the European CPR (Construction Products Regulation), classes Cca-s1,d1,a1, B2ca, and Dca, adapted for the most critical environments. Circuit-integrity cables are also available for critical power circuits that must maintain supply throughout a fire event.

Sustainability in a data center starts with the choice of electrification materials. Nexans low-carbon cables reduce infrastructure CO₂ footprint by at least 35% from the production phase. PEP Ecopassport® certification documents Scope 3 emissions for CSRD reporting and unlocks up to 2 LEED points. The CableLoop service provides a full circular economy solution for end-of-life cable management, processed through RecyCâbles, a Nexans/SUEZ joint venture and Europe’s leading cable recycling center.

Multiple suppliers mean multiple risks: technical incompatibilities, diluted accountability, and extended lead times. Nexans covers over 90% of international standards with an integrated portfolio of cables, accessories, services, and digital tools, managed through a single point of contact from order to commissioning. On a project with tens of millions in CAPEX, this is as much a risk management decision as a performance one.

With energy demands from AI and cloud workloads growing rapidly, electrical infrastructures must carry ever-greater power within constrained spaces. HTS superconducting cables transmit up to 3.2 GW with near-zero energy losses, in a footprint up to 10× smaller than conventional cables and using 97% less copper. They represent a transformative solution for very high-capacity data centers, facilities exceeding 1 GW, and urban-site data centers where space is at a premium.