Data Centre Projects: Infrastructure Builds, Innovations & Updates

Andalusia greenlights €1.26bn campus at Málaga TechPark

The Andalusian regional government in southern Spain has formally declared a major new data centre development a "project of strategic interest", clearing the path for a €1.257 billion (£1 billion) facility to be built within the expansion zone of Málaga TechPark. The announcement was made on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, following a meeting of the Consejo de Gobierno, the regional cabinet of the Junta de Andalucía. The project is being promoted by Saltburn Holding, a company linked to brothers Rafael and José Benjumea Benjumea - grandsons of the founder of the Abengoa industrial group - and headquartered in Madrid. The Benjumea brothers have also been active in other digital infrastructure ventures, including Aquilon Project Iberia and CSM Holding, positioning them as increasingly significant players in Spain's fast-growing data centre sector. Facility specifications The proposed campus will occupy a 71,415m² plot within the SUS CA-23 sector of Málaga TechPark's expansion area, in the Campanillas district on the city's western fringe. The facility is designed to meet Tier III / Tier III+ reliability standards and will deliver an IT power capacity of 100 MW, with a total electrical draw of 150 MW, placing it firmly in the hyperscale-adjacent category. Intended workloads span data storage and processing, artificial intelligence inference and training, cloud services, and digital connectivity infrastructure. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2027, with the strategic interest declaration valid through to 31 December 2031, providing a regulatory framework to cover the full development and early operational phases. The development is projected to create 710 direct jobs during the construction phase, with a further 254 permanent positions once the facility enters operation. Given typical multiplier effects for large-scale infrastructure projects, the indirect employment and supply-chain impact on the wider Málaga economy is expected to be substantially higher. The declaration of strategic interest falls under Decreto-ley 4/2019, Andalusia's framework for administrative simplification and the promotion of strategic economic initiatives. It activates the regional government's Unidad Aceleradora de Proyectos (UAP - Project Acceleration Unit), designed to streamline permitting and reduce the bureaucratic timeline for large-scale investments. The project file has received favourable assessments from the departments responsible for industry, territorial planning, environmental sustainability, agriculture, culture, and public health, alongside a technical endorsement from the UAP itself. Málaga as a digital hub in southern Europe The Málaga TechPark - also known as the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía (PTA) - has been the anchor of the city's technology economy since opening in 1992. Today, it hosts more than 650 companies across ICT, cybersecurity, fintech, and research and development, employing over 20,000 people and contributing around €4.8 billion (£4.1 billion) to Andalusia's GDP. International tenants include Google, Agilent Technologies, and TDK, among others. The Saltburn Holding campus would be the second major data centre to be announced in Andalusia in quick succession. Construction is already under way on Sierra DC's macrocentre in Escúzar, Granada - a project backed by Swedish capital with an investment approaching €1 billion (£865 million) - signalling that the region is beginning to attract the kind of hyperscale-scale commitments that have so far concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Iberian Atlantic coast. However, despite the scale of investor interest, electrical grid constraints remain a structural challenge for Andalusia's data centre ambitions. Regional President Juanma Moreno has publicly acknowledged delays to at least one technology project in Málaga due to grid connection difficulties and insufficient power supply. Industry analysts note that the region's grid infrastructure has been deprioritised in negotiations between the Junta and the central government over Spain's new energy planning framework, with data centres placed at the bottom of the list of infrastructure requests. For the Saltburn Holding project, a planned electrical consumption of 150 MW makes grid access a critical dependency. How quickly those connections can be secured will likely determine whether the 2027 construction start holds.

BCS Consultancy expands into Southern Europe

BCS Consultancy, a global data centre consultancy, has expanded its presence in Southern Europe through two senior appointments and a new data centre project in Barcelona. As part of this move, the company has appointed Alberto Modrego Eisman and Rhoana Zanotelli as Senior Consultants to support growth across the Iberian market. According to BCS, the appointments strengthen its ability to support clients across the data centre development lifecycle in Spain and wider Southern Europe. Alberto Modrego Eisman joins the company with experience in cost management and large-scale developments across Spain and the EMEA region, including previous roles at JLL. Rhoana Zanotelli previously held senior infrastructure and development roles at Goodman, where she worked on data centre projects across Europe. The Iberian market and a Barcelona data centre project BCS has also secured a data centre development project in Barcelona as part of a wider urban digital infrastructure scheme in the region. The company says it will support the project through key delivery phases as demand for data centre capacity continues to increase across Southern Europe. According to BCS Consultancy’s Q1 Data Centre Commercial Report, the Spanish market has recently moved to a competitive grid access framework using capacity auctions across constrained power nodes in locations including Madrid, Aragón, and Andalusia. The report states that the model prioritises operational readiness and accelerated delivery times for new infrastructure developments. BCS says the Iberian Peninsula continues to attract data centre investment due to lower land costs, renewable energy availability, and the ability to support large-scale AI and GPU-focused facilities. Chris Coward, COO at BCS Consultancy, comments, “Iberia is rapidly becoming one of the most important growth markets for data centre development in Europe. As constraints intensify in traditional hubs, our clients are looking to new regions to scale. "Expanding our presence in Southern Europe allows us to combine local expertise with our pan-European delivery capability, giving clients the clarity and confidence they need to execute complex projects in these emerging markets.” For more from BCS Consultancy, click here.

Kao Data acquires site in Park Royal, West London

Kao Data, a data centre developer and operator, has acquired a 4.7-acre (19,020m²) industrial site in Park Royal, West London, for the development of a new data centre facility. The site, formerly part of the Frogmore Industrial Estate, was acquired from Reassure Limited, part of Legal & General, in March 2026. It is located within the Park Royal area of West London, one of the UK’s largest data centre and cloud computing markets. According to Kao Data, the planned facility will be designed to support AI and advanced computing workloads while targeting high environmental and energy efficiency standards. Plans for the development are currently being prepared in consultation with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), local authorities, and community stakeholders. Data centre planned for 2029 Kao Data says the new facility is expected to support computing infrastructure used across sectors including life sciences, healthcare research, artificial intelligence, and financial services. David Bloom, founder and Executive Chair of Kao Data, comments, “Today’s data centres are the engine rooms of the digital age, but it’s vital that new developments work hand in hand with local stakeholders and are developed responsibly, with the community front of mind. “Our acquisition of this former industrial site in Park Royal demonstrates our longstanding commitments to sustainable redevelopment, and we’re excited to work closely with the OPDC to continue our expansion in West London.” The company also states that community engagement activities linked to the development will include education and local support initiatives, building on programmes already established at its Harlow, Slough, and Stockport sites. Detailed proposals for the Park Royal development are expected to be submitted during the coming months as part of the formal planning process. Kao Data says the facility is expected to be operational in 2029. For more from Kao Data, click here.

365, Aphorio Carter plan 200MW AI infrastructure expansion

365 Data Centers, a provider of network-centric colocation, network, cloud, and other managed services, has partnered with Aphorio Carter, a Florida-based data centre real estate investment and asset management platform, to develop around 200MW of AI-ready data centre capacity across several US markets. The partnership will focus on identifying, converting, and developing high-density data centre facilities designed to support artificial intelligence and high-performance computing workloads. According to reports, 365 Data Centers is currently evaluating six sites and plans to act as the long-term operator for the facilities. Initial projects are expected to come online within the next nine to 24 months. Letters of intent have been initiated for sites in Aurora and Simpsonville, with further locations under consideration in Trumbull, Louisville, Harrisonburg, and Columbus. The facilities are being designed to support liquid-to-chip cooling infrastructure and cabinet densities ranging from 50kW to more than 200kW. AI workloads driving high-density data centre plans Derek Gillespie, CEO and CRO of 365 Data Centers, comments, “Through this partnership, we’re in an ideal position to create a new class of high-density infrastructure designed specifically for AI-era workloads. "Working with Aphorio Carter will allow us to create new value in existing assets while bringing new capacity online to support today’s demand.” The companies say the partnership combines Aphorio Carter’s real estate and redevelopment experience with 365 Data Centers’ operational capabilities to accelerate deployment timelines and improve infrastructure utilisation. John Regan, President and COO at Aphorio Carter, explains, “We’ve aligned the delivery of utility power with critical infrastructure, allowing us to provide scalable, high-density infrastructure where it’s needed most. "This is a great partnership, where we’ve got the real estate and the ability to supply the data centre infrastructure in line with available utility capacity, while 365 has a highly reliable O&M track record along with a healthy pipeline of customers.” Further information on site developments and timelines is expected as projects progress. For more from 365 Data Centers, click here.

Thailand approves $29bn data centre investment wave

Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) has approved six major projects worth a combined ฿958 billion ($29 billion; £21 billion), led by a large-scale data infrastructure expansion by TikTok System (Thailand), underscoring the country's growing role as a regional hub for data centres, cloud services, and AI-driven digital infrastructure. The approvals were made at a BOI Board meeting chaired by Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The Board also approved a second batch of projects under the Thailand FastPass mechanism and discussed with energy agencies steps to strengthen electricity readiness and improve access to clean energy - two increasingly important factors in attracting large-scale digital and high-technology investment. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the BOI, says the latest approvals reflect growing investor confidence in Thailand at a time when global companies are racing to expand digital infrastructure across Asia. He comments, "Amid continuing global volatility, investment in Thailand's digital and advanced technology sectors continues to grow, reflecting investor confidence in the country's potential as a regional technology hub. "For Thailand to capture this new investment cycle, we must be ready not only with investment incentives, but also with sufficient power, clean-energy options, skilled talent, deeper supply chains, and a reliable facilitation system that allows projects to move quickly from approval to operation." Project details Of the six approved projects, three are in data centre and data hosting services, with a combined investment value of ฿913 billion ($28 billion; £20 billion). The largest project is by TikTok System (Thailand), valued at ฿842 billion ($26 billion; £19 billion). The project will install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Chachoengsao Province, supporting rising demand for digital services and strengthening Thailand's role in regional digital infrastructure. Beyond its core infrastructure investment, TikTok has also committed to developing digital literacy and e-commerce curricula to help create new business opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs and strengthen the country's digital workforce. Another approved project is a ฿46 billion ($1.4 billion; £1 billion) data centre investment by Skyline Data Center and Cloud Services, part of the UAE-based DAMAC Group. Located in Chachoengsao, the project will support an IT load of 200MW. A third data centre project, by Bridge Data Centres IIO (Thailand) from Singapore, was approved with an investment value of ฿24.6 billion ($765 million; £561 million). Located in Chonburi, the project will support an IT load of 134MW. To accelerate project implementation, the BOI Board also selected nine additional projects worth ฿52 billion ($1.6 billion; £1.1 billion) for Thailand FastPass, following the first batch of 16 projects. The latest selection brings the FastPass portfolio to 25 projects. The FastPass mechanism is designed to streamline approval and permitting procedures, speed up coordination among relevant agencies, and help strategic projects begin operations faster. Strengthening grid readiness At the same meeting, the Board outlined steps to strengthen electricity readiness with the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission, focusing on urgent power supply needs for incoming investment, particularly in the Eastern region. The Board also directed action on accelerating the issuance of Thailand's Power Development Plan (PDP) to support future demand, new energy technologies, and long-term power-system planning. The Board also advanced plans for clean energy mechanisms, including Direct Renewable Power Purchase Agreements (Direct PPA), which would allow private companies to buy and sell renewable electricity directly, with participation criteria and grid-service charges to be announced shortly. In addition, it acknowledged the launch of Utility Green Tariff 2 (UGT2), a source-specific green tariff designed to give companies more options for procuring clean electricity. Narit Therdsteerasukdi explains the combination of large-scale digital investment, power readiness, clean energy access, skilled talent, and faster investment facilitation is central to Thailand's competitiveness in the next phase of global investment. He continues, "Thailand is entering a new investment cycle in which speed, power readiness, clean energy access, and skilled talent will be decisive. "The BOI is working with partner agencies to ensure that major projects can move from approval to operation as quickly as possible, while strengthening the infrastructure, workforce, supply chains, and ecosystem needed for long-term growth in the digital economy."

Castleforge, Galaxy to expand £500m Redhill campus

Real estate investor Castleforge and Galaxy Data Centers, a data centre operator and advisory firm, have secured planning consent to expand their Redhill data centre campus, situated near London, with a new 15MW facility set to be developed. Approved by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, the project will add four data halls as part of a two-storey building on the existing site at Foxboro Business Park. The expansion forms part of a wider programme that could see total investment in the campus reach around £500 million. The Redhill site, located on a 3.1-hectare industrial estate, will also include an office building and is designed to support future growth in digital infrastructure capacity across the London market. The project follows a previous investment of more than £100 million in the campus in 2024, with a further £200 million expected as part of the next phase. A focus on low-carbon data centre development The new facility is designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating and will incorporate low- and zero-carbon technologies. Waste heat generated by the data centre will be reused on site, with infrastructure in place to enable future export to a nearby residential heat network. The expansion reflects continued demand for data centre capacity in and around London, driven by AI, cloud computing, and hybrid workloads. Limited power availability and planning constraints have made existing sites increasingly important for new development. Mike Adcock, Head of Investments at Castleforge, says, "Securing planning consent for our new development at Redhill is a major milestone in our plans to deliver high-quality, sustainable digital infrastructure to one of the world's most important data centre markets." Paul Leong, Chief Financial Officer and Partner at Galaxy Data Centers, adds, "This planning consent is a pivotal step in realising the long-term vision we set out when we acquired [the Redhill site] alongside Castleforge." The Redhill campus currently spans 11,800m² across three buildings and serves customers including enterprises in financial services and AI. The site benefits from access to renewable energy, low-latency connectivity to hubs such as Slough and London Docklands, and available space for further expansion. Construction timelines have not yet been confirmed, with further development milestones expected to be announced.

Legrand cooling selected for 'Europe’s largest AI campus'

Legrand, a French multinational infrastructure products manufacturer, has been selected by Start Campus, a designer, builder, and operator of sustainable data centres, to supply cooling technology for a large-scale data centre development in Sines, Portugal. The project forms part of a planned 1.2GW campus designed to support AI, cloud computing, and high-performance workloads. Legrand will deploy its rear-door heat exchanger technology, developed by its USystems brand, to provide rack-level cooling across the site. The Sines campus is powered by renewable energy and is targeting a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.1 and a water usage effectiveness (WUE) of 0, using seawater cooling to support high-density environments. Robert Dunn, CEO of Start Campus, says, "These are very technically challenging projects, so we need to work with the best in the business to meet those complex challenges." Cooling technology for high-density workloads The cooling system operates at rack level, removing heat directly at source by cooling exhaust air before it enters the wider data hall. This approach reduces reliance on traditional air-cooling methods and supports higher rack densities. Legrand states that the system can reduce cooling-related power consumption compared with conventional approaches, whilst also maintaining stable thermal conditions. The technology additionally adjusts cooling capacity in real time to match operational requirements, supporting efficiency and performance across the facility. Rita Lourenço, Key Account Manager - Critical Power at Legrand, notes, "The full lifecycle partnership [...] includes knowledge sharing, maintenance support, proactive problem detection, and long-term collaboration beyond commissioning." The two companies state their partnership includes ongoing support and maintenance, alongside the initial deployment of the cooling systems. For more from Legrand, click here.

Hudson IX expands 60 Hudson Street capacity

Hudson InterXchange (Hudson IX), a New York-based carrier-neutral colocation and interconnection data centre provider, has added a new 1MW data hall at 60 Hudson Street in New York, USA, increasing available capacity at one of the city’s most connected carrier hotels. The facility is now operational and available for high-density colocation deployments. A second 1MW data hall is scheduled to come online in the second quarter of 2026, with longer-term plans to expand total capacity at the site beyond 10MW. The expansion comes as data centre space and power availability remain limited across the New York City market, particularly in locations with established network connectivity. 60 Hudson Street continues to act as a key interconnection hub, hosting more than 300 carriers and service providers. The latest development introduces additional capacity within this environment, enabling organisations to deploy infrastructure close to network providers and end users. Additional capacity in a constrained market Hudson IX is among a small number of operators currently adding new capacity within the building, supported by available power for future deployments. The new data hall is designed to support a range of requirements, including network providers, content delivery networks, cloud platforms, enterprises, and financial services organisations. The company notes it can accommodate both standard and high-density installations, including workloads linked to AI and other compute-intensive applications. Atul Roy of Hudson InterXchange says, "This expansion is the result of our remarkable team and its commitment to delivering a large, world-class, high-performance data centre platform with scalable solutions ranging from single cabinets to bespoke cages." Further expansion is planned as part of a wider roadmap to increase total capacity at the site beyond 10MW, supporting continued demand for colocation and interconnection in the New York metro area. For more from Hudson IX, click here.

1547's Orangeburg data centre reaches full occupancy

Harrison Street Asset Management and fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty (1547), a developer and operator of interconnected data centres and carrier hotels across North America, have completed the latest expansion phase of their Orangeburg data centre in New York, with the facility now fully leased and operating at near-full utilisation. The colocation site, located around 18 miles (28.9 kilometres) north of Manhattan, provides capacity for tenants requiring proximity to New York City and access to established connectivity routes. Originally supporting 3.7 MW of IT load when acquired in 2021, the joint venture has since added approximately 14 MW of capacity while increasing density across the existing 232,000ft² (21,553m²) facility. A further 12MW utility feed is currently under development, with additional long-term expansion plans in place. The site has outline approval for a new 230,000ft² (21,367m²) building, supported by a planned 60MW on-site substation. Expansion driven by connectivity demand The Greater New York data centre market remains one of the largest in the US, supported by multiple terrestrial fibre routes and subsea cable landings along Long Island and New Jersey, enabling international connectivity, particularly with Europe. The Orangeburg facility now supports around 18 MW of IT load and has reached near-full utilisation following recent leasing activity. Demand is primarily driven by financial services organisations, including banks, trading platforms, and hedge funds, which require low-latency connectivity to Manhattan. Michael Hochanadel, Head of Digital Assets at Harrison Street Asset Management, comments, "The Orangeburg data centre exemplifies our approach to digital infrastructure investing, pairing strategic locations with disciplined demand-driven expansion." J Todd Raymond, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of 1547, adds, "From day one, our focus has been on delivering capacity in direct response to customer demand while maintaining the performance and reliability our clients depend on." Since 2018, Harrison Street Asset Management’s digital investment platform has committed more than $6.5 billion (£4.8 billion) to data centre and connectivity infrastructure, including powered shells, carrier hotels, colocation facilities, and dark fibre networks. For more from 1547, click here.

€50bn Croatia AI data centre investment announced

Pantheon Atlas, a transatlantic-led investment group, has announced plans to develop a hyperscale AI data centre and innovation campus in Topusko, Croatia, with total investment expected to exceed €50 billion (£43 billion). This is reportedly the largest investment of its kind in Croatian history and among the largest private US investments in Europe. The project, known as Pantheon AI, is intended to address growing demand for AI-driven data centre capacity across Europe, where availability of power, land, and construction resources remains constrained. The development is being delivered by a transatlantic investment group combining US capital with local expertise in Croatia, including regulatory and grid access experience. The announcement was made at the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Dubrovnik. Pantheon AI is designed to meet NVIDIA’s gigawatt-scale AI factory standards and is expected to offer high levels of availability, exceeding Tier IV benchmarks. Jako Andabak, Founding Partner at Pantheon AI, comments, "Pantheon AI is a signal to the world that Croatia is open for the highest-caliber investment. "This project is the culmination of years of work to bring world-class digital infrastructure to Croatia." Addressing European data centre capacity Across Europe, established data centre markets are operating with limited vacancy, while grid connection delays continue to affect new developments. Demand in Central and Eastern Europe is expected to increase significantly by 2035, particularly as AI workloads expand and regulatory requirements encourage data to be stored within EU borders. Ryan Rich, Managing Partner at Pantheon AI, explains, "We have assembled a transatlantic partnership to solve one of the most pressing challenges in global digital infrastructure: enabling hyperscale operators to meet AI-driven demand at scale." The project is expected to support up to 5.2 GW of renewable energy integration into Croatia’s grid. It will include an on-site solar installation and battery storage, alongside multiple fibre connections across European network corridors. Joshua Volz, Special Envoy for Global Energy Integration at the US Department of Energy, says, "Critical infrastructure of this scale, built by the private sector responding to real market demand, is exactly how US interests and European security advance together." Construction of the campus is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with operations expected to start in the first quarter of 2029. The initial phase represents a €12 billion (£10 billion) investment, with additional funding anticipated as tenants deploy infrastructure. The campus will have a planned capacity of 1GW, including 800MW of usable IT load, and will span approximately 310 acres (1.2 km²), with expansion potential. The development is expected to create around 1,500 permanent roles, alongside 3,000 jobs during construction.