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Breaking Ground on a Digital Milestone
• HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions and Palladio Partners commence construction of a YEXIO data center;
• Mayor highlights significant potential for Bad Lippspringe;
• Project combines data performance with efficient waste heat utilization.
The facility is being developed by HOCHTIEF Data Center Partner GmbH (hochtief-datacenterpartner.de) on behalf of the project company YEXIO Bad Lippspringe GmbH & Co. KG, with investment provided jointly by Palladio Partners (palladio-partners.com) and HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions (hochtief-pppsolutions.com). The data center will not only establish a robust digital infrastructure for the city, but also feed recovered waste heat into local energy systems as part of a forward-thinking approach to urban planning. Completion is scheduled for summer 2026.
In today’s connected world, data centers are the backbone of digital progress, enabling the seamless operation of cloud services, artificial intelligence, and smart infrastructure management. “With this data center, we’re not just delivering powerful digital capabilities to Bad Lippspringe,” said Bernd Holtwick, Executive Director at HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions. “We’re also demonstrating how municipalities can harness synergies between data and energy management.” The integration of waste heat utilization and smart city technology makes this development a flagship for sustainable urban innovation.
Following the inaugural YEXIO data center in Heiligenhaus, the Bad Lippspringe facility is the second in a planned network of 15 locations. These state-of-the-art centers are designed to serve a broad user base, including public institutions, private companies, and cloud service providers.
Sustainable by Design
Developed with a focus on sustainability across the entire value chain, the YEXIO data center incorporates direct water cooling for optimal energy efficiency ideal for high-performance IT and AI applications. A solid timber construction reduces carbon emissions by approximately 600 metric tons, and the green façade supports biodiversity. The facility is designed for long-term, cost-effective operation over its full lifecycle.
The center will initially offer two megawatts of IT capacity, with the potential to scale to four megawatts as demand grows. The operating partner will be Yorizon, a provider of sustainable cloud computing and green IT solutions. Yorizon delivers tailored services for software vendors, SMEs, large enterprises, and public-sector organizations.
Turning Heat into Opportunity
The City of Bad Lippspringe welcomes the project as a key step toward a sustainable future. “We were thrilled when we learned about the plans for this cutting-edge data center,” said Mayor Ulrich Lange. “The collaboration with HOCHTIEF and Palladio Partners represents a win-win scenario particularly with regard to our climate-conscious municipal heating strategy. The center’s waste heat is an ideal energy source for our planned district heating network. This project is an important building block on our journey toward energy autonomy.”
A feasibility study for implementing a district heating network near the data center is currently underway. The goal is to channel the recovered heat into nearby residential and commercial areas, significantly enhancing energy efficiency.
Digital Infrastructure Beyond Major Cities
Modern digital infrastructure is no longer the exclusive domain of large metropolitan areas. Towns like Bad Lippspringe can also benefit from high-performance data centers that foster digital transformation and stimulate local economies. HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions takes an integrated approach to infrastructure merging digitalization, energy efficiency, and economic viability into one holistic strategy. The aim: to deliver innovative solutions that extend beyond individual projects and create lasting value for communities.
“Modern, sustainable data centers play a vital role in advancing digital infrastructure,” said Stephan Küßner, Managing Director at Palladio Partners. “They also exemplify sector coupling a key principle in the energy transition. By leveraging renewable energy and repurposing waste heat, they contribute directly to the shift toward climate-friendly heating.”
Palladio Partners has been investing institutional capital primarily from German pension funds in infrastructure assets both domestically and internationally for more than a decade. With €9.9 billion in assets under management, the firm is a market leader in this field and has been supporting digital infrastructure in municipalities since 2019.
About HOCHTIEF
HOCHTIEF (hochtief.com) is an engineering-led global infrastructure solutions provider with leading positions in North America, Australia and Europe and a rapidly expanding presence in high-tech, energy transition and sustainable infrastructure markets. With around 57,000 employees and a sales volume of EUR 33.3 billion in 2024, HOCHTIEF is the leading construction management and green building company in the US (through Turner), the largest contractor in the Australia infrastructure services market (CIMIC), a key player in U.S. transportation infrastructure (Flatiron-Dragados) and a renowned civil engineering and building construction company in Europe. The Group’s PPP and infrastructure development activity is complemented by its 20% stake in the leading international toll road concessions operator Abertis. HOCHTIEF’s strong competitive position is underpinned by the Group’s engineering know-how, innovative digital systems and supply chain & logistics solutions. Thanks to its long-standing commitment to sustainability, HOCHTIEF, where green projects account for almost 50% of Group sales, has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices since 2006 and is committed to delivering on its ESG agenda including a net-zero target for 2045.
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bernd.puetter[.]hochtief.de 
