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SES Groups · Data centres

Every critical piece of data centre equipment, inspected before it reaches site

MV/LV power, backup generation, UPS, chillers, pumps, heat exchangers, piping and instrumentation. Our inspectors witness factory acceptance tests, approve ITPs, check welding and NDT, and follow your suppliers from purchase order to release.

1,000+missions invoiced since 2020
70+equipment manufacturers inspected
15data centre zones covered
Internationallarge inspector pool: Europe, China, India, North Africa, Gulf

The data centre, zone by zone

Click any equipment on the diagram to see its role in a data centre, what we inspect and our references with manufacturers of that equipment family.

Data centre equipment schematic (P&ID style) Power chain from MV intake to IT racks with generator and UPS backup, chilled water loop with chiller, pumps, dry cooler, CRAH, valves and instruments, fire protection and supervision. POWER CHAIN COOLING PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MV substation Switchgear, breakers Transformer MV/LV, dry or oil LV board + ATS LV distribution UPS 2N redundancy PDU / STS Per rack, A/B feeds Fuel tanks 24–72 h autonomy Generator set Diesel, alternator Batteries Li-ion or lead-acid BMS / EPMS / DCIM PLCs, control panels Fire protection Inert gas, fire pumps IT room (white space) CRAH / CRAC Cooling coil, fans IT racks Servers, liquid CDU Cold aisle containment Pumps + motors N+1 circulation Chiller Compressors Dry cooler / exchanger Heat rejection, free cooling TT FT PT Valve
Electrical powerChilled water supplyChilled water returnCondenser loopTT / PT / FT: temperature, pressure, flow

Tip: piping, the valve and the instruments are clickable too.

Supplier surveillance & project quality engineering

Beyond one-off inspections, SES Groups acts as your Project Quality Engineer during project execution: we follow each supplier from purchase order to release, and we visit their shops frequently to make sure your project specifications are applied, not just signed.

Kick-off & pre-inspection meeting

PIM at the supplier's premises: scope, sub-suppliers, schedule, hold and witness points, reporting rules.

Specification applicability review

Project specs vs. supplier standards, compliance matrix, flow-down to sub-suppliers, technical queries and deviation requests.

ITP & quality plan approval

Review and approval of ITPs, WPS/PQR, NDT procedures, test procedures and painting systems before production starts.

Frequent shop visits

Regular in-process surveillance or resident inspector: materials, welding, machining, assembly and coating.

NCR & deviation management

Raising and tracking non-conformances, root cause, corrective actions, concession files and their close-out.

Progress & expediting reports

Weekly status against schedule, critical-path materials, sub-supplier follow-up and early warnings.

FAT & final inspection

Witnessing factory acceptance tests, dimensional and visual checks, packing and preservation before shipment.

Final documentation & release

MDR / data book review, EN 10204 3.1/3.2 certificates, punch list close-out and inspection release note.

How we make specifications applicable

  • Clause-by-clause compliance matrix between client specifications, codes and the supplier's own standards
  • Clear acceptance criteria agreed up front: welding, NDT, tolerances, coating, testing
  • Requirements flowed down to sub-suppliers (castings, forgings, plates, bolting, cables)
  • Technical queries and deviation requests raised early, before they turn into NCRs
  • On-site coaching of supplier QC teams, so quality is built in rather than inspected in

Track record in supplier follow-up

30+pre-inspection meetings held
100+expediting and progress follow-ups
50+MDR / MRB reviews and sign-offs
Residentinspectors at nacelle factories, foundries and fabrication shops
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A large, international inspector pool

Our coordination desk draws on a large pool of senior inspectors based in France and abroad, so we can staff a one-day FAT, a multi-supplier programme or a resident Package Manager quickly, wherever your suppliers are.

Who we deploy

  • Electrical and HV inspectors for generators, switchgear, transformers and UPS
  • Mechanical and rotating equipment inspectors for chillers, pumps and compressors
  • Welding and NDT inspectors for piping, tanks and liquid cooling loops
  • Project Quality Engineers and Package Managers for long residencies
  • Commissioning teams (electrical, mechanical, I&C) mobilised for start-up and integrated systems testing (IST)
  • Partner inspectors in Morocco and North Africa, and network in the Gulf

Qualifications we select for

GWO Basic Safety TrainingFrench electrical clearances (habilitations)CSWIP 3.1IWI / IWEISO 9712 level 2 and 3FROSIO / NACEISO 9001 lead auditorClient and agency approvals

We select, for each assignment, inspectors holding the qualifications your ITP and site rules require.

Our services

Quality Inspector, Project Quality Engineer and Package Manager profiles, available at the supplier's premises and on site.

Shop inspection

ITP review and sign-off, hold points, FAT and type test witnessing, reports and release notes.

Welding & NDT

WPS/PQR and welder qualifications, VT, PMI, PT, MT, RT and UT (ISO 9712).

Rotating equipment

Performance tests on pumps, motors and gearboxes, vibration, alignment, mechanical run tests.

Package management & expediting

Supplier follow-up, schedule, document review, pre-shipment inspection.

All references by equipment family

Inspections carried out at the manufacturers of this equipment. For confidentiality, we name neither end clients nor projects.

FamilyManufacturerEquipment inspectedIn a data centreYear

References from our 2020–2026 inspection assignments across all sectors (energy, process, industry). The equipment uses the same technologies as that installed in data centres.

Request an inspection Wind energy: our inspections →

Before the purchase order

Buying this equipment? We help you choose the suppliers

Supplier pre-qualification and factory audits, RFQ packs with ITP and VDRL, technical bid evaluation and award, then inspection of the awarded supplier by the same team.

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