Powergen checks in to Guardian internet hotels

The Guardian IT Group has contracted Powergen to power its £50m 'Internet Hotel'.

The £22m deal makes the site, which hosts clients' websites, the first in Europe to be powered by its own energy centre, according to Gaurdian IT. It will open in May 2001 - six months ahead of schedule. The project was designed to avoid energy shortages and the power centre will be powered by gas-fire, with electricity from the national grid used only as a back-up source. The Guardian IT Group hopes the deal with Powergen will help it avoid the power shortages that have held back similar projects across Europe. Garry Growns, managing director of iXguardian, said in a prepared statement: "Speed to market is a key competitive advantage. And being able to get around the potential power capacity headaches dogging other companies gives us a head start." By Lesley Cowper