“Global High Tech Media” Company

Case Studies/Data Center Decommissioning

Decommissioning a 400,000 SF Manhattan data center

A global high-tech information company relocating off West Street needed its 15 MW data center dismantled and its assets monetized. Quantum ran a 30–40-person crew and recovered everything from 667,200 lbs of batteries to 1,800 data cabinets — returning substantial revenue.

Large Manhattan data center decommissioning by Quantum Technology

Client
Global High-Tech Info Co.Name withheld by policy
Location
Manhattan, New York
Timeline
3 Months30–40-person crew
Result
Substantial RevenueReturned to the client

The Challenge

A giant Manhattan facility, on a lease clock

A global high-tech information company decided to relocate its 400,000 square foot data center on West Street in Manhattan to Orangeburg, NY. The company’s lease required it to dismantle and remove almost all of the infrastructure that supported the old data center.

On recommendations from several different sources, the company engaged Quantum Technology to execute the decommission and monetize the assets. (The company’s privacy policy restricts advertising its name, but it will provide a reference and recommendation of Quantum upon request.)

Inside the Manhattan data center

By the Numbers

The scale of the site

Facility
400,000 SFData center
Power
15 MWFacility capacity
Cabinets
1,800Data cabinets removed
UPS
27Liebert UPS systems

Battery and feeder removal at the Manhattan data center
The Approach

De-energize, verify, dismantle, recover

Quantum was responsible for the de-energization and verification of the electrical systems — safe-off, lock and tag out — before any removal began. A 30–40-person crew then worked through the facility, decommissioning, removing and selling or recycling the full build-out.

That included 1,680 jars of wet-cell lead-acid batteries with their disconnects and racking, hundreds of thousands of pounds of feeder cable, 92 Liebert PDUs, 27 Liebert UPS systems, switchgear lineups and breaker cabinets, DC plants and rectifiers, 1,800 data cabinets, and hundreds of thousands of pounds of steel scrap.

667,200 lbsOf batteries recovered & recycled

The site held 1,680 jars — 667,200 lbs — of wet-cell lead-acid batteries, all removed with their disconnects and racking and routed to recycling.

What We Recovered

Removed, sold or recycled

A full-facility decommission, measured in tons.

✓1,680 jars (667,200 lbs) of wet-cell batteries, disconnects & racking
✓541,981 lbs of feeder cabling & wire
✓92 Liebert PDUs & 27 Liebert UPS systems
✓Switchgear lineups, breaker cabinets & panels
✓DC plants, rectifiers & office furniture
✓1,800 data cabinets & several thousand PDU strips
✓295,240 lbs of steel scrap
✓De-energization, verification, lock & tag out

The Outcome

A clean exit and real money back

The lease obligation was met, the assets were monetized, and the client came away with substantial revenue.

Substantial revenue returned

By monetizing the assets rather than scrapping them, the decommission handed the client substantial revenue.

Handled safely at scale

A 30–40-person crew de-energized, verified and removed a 15 MW facility — including 667,200 lbs of batteries.

Lease obligation met

Almost all of the supporting infrastructure was removed, satisfying the West Street lease so the relocation could close out.

On Site

From the project

Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo
Global high-tech data center project photo

Your project could be next

Relocating or retiring a large data center?

We take on full-scale, multi-megawatt decommissions — de-energizing safely, meeting lease deadlines, and turning the assets into revenue instead of cost.

Skills

Posted on

October 16, 2026

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