Building Shell's net-zero, HPC data center of the future.

Data centers are vital to the smooth operation of Shell’s global operations, so we know firsthand how important it is to have a secure, sustainable, and affordable source of energy to keep our data working at full speed. The challenge was securing decarbonized data center services as part of Shell’s ambition to become a net-zero-emissions energy business by 2050 and Shell IT’s High Performance Computing (HPC) team had a vital role to play.

Our HPC team decided to relocate our legacy data center, Houston, to a new, purpose-built, high-efficiency facility run by Skybox Datacenters. The migration, in early 2010, took 10 days and involved 4,000 servers, 100 petabytes of data, and many miles of network cable.

Purpose-built for high-performance, sustainable computing Shell chose the Skybox facility because it ticked all the boxes: it was built specifically for the HPC required by large, data-intensive enterprises such as Shell; has excellent energy efficiency and enables us to use immersion cooling and our innovative, single-phase Shell Immersion Cooling Fluid S5 X. Our operation there draws power from Shell Energy North America, which provides low carbon energy solutions to large businesses all over the country. The facility incorporates smart controls, virtualization software, and artificial intelligence to help manage workloads, better distribute computing tasks, and maximize utilization rates that regularly reach 80 to 90%. Additionally, advanced analytics enables the team to spot and address issues before they become serious problems. Enabling innovation This cutting-edge data center also acts as a laboratory where we test our new technologies with our partners, including innovative energy solutions such as 24/7 renewable power. Our own journey with Skybox has deepened our understanding of how we can support data center operators and tenants striving for more sustainable computing.