Data Centres

New energy agreement for nLighten’s UK data centres

nLighten, a provider of sustainable edge data centre services operating across the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, has entered into a new renewable energy supply agreement with UK-based provider Conrad Energy, covering all of nLighten’s edge data centre locations across the UK. Unlike traditional supply contracts, the agreement enables nLighten to monitor its renewable energy consumption with granularity – down to the asset level and on an hourly basis. The partnership, which initially started in April 2024 with the delivery of renewable power, was enhanced in January 2025 with the introduction of detailed tracking and reporting capabilities. Previously, nLighten’s UK energy procurement was based on market-driven purchases supplemented by annual Guarantees of Origin. Conrad Energy has progressively onboarded all nLighten UK meters, consolidating what was previously a fragmented energy procurement approach. Each month, nLighten receives a breakdown of its renewable energy supply from Conrad Energy. This includes asset-level insights into the share of wind, solar, and biomass sources contributing to the energy mix. The data allows nLighten to track its renewable coverage over time and calculate avoided CO₂ emissions based on the actual generation profile. “This collaboration goes beyond what most energy suppliers currently offer in the UK,” claims Francesco Marasco, VP of Energy Operations & Sustainability at nLighten. “Not only can we align our procurement with real-time pricing, but we now also have full transparency over how – and where – our renewable energy is being generated. It’s another step towards building the most sustainable edge data centre platform in Europe.” This model builds on learnings from a similar agreement nLighten established in Spain with Shell. However, the Conrad Energy agreement takes transparency a step further by providing visibility down to individual generation assets, not just the source. “We’re proud to support nLighten’s efforts to lead the way in data centre sustainability,” says Tim Foster, Director of Energy for Business at Conrad Energy. “By combining flexible supply structures with granular data visibility, we’re helping digital infrastructure operators align more closely with today’s energy realities and decarbonisation goals.” For more from nLighten, click here.

'AI is the new oil—and data centres are the refineries'

With AI adoption reshaping global industries, Straightline Consulting’s Managing Director, Craig Eadie, shares his insights regarding how data centres are powering the GenAI revolution: "The age of AI is here. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rewriting the rulebook when it comes to everything from software development and call centre productivity to copywriting — boosting efficiency and, depending on who you ask, on track to raise the GDP of industrialised nations by 10-15% over the next decade. "The impact of AI will reshape the global economy over the coming years, consolidating value among the companies that successfully capitalise on this moment — and disrupting those that don’t. The 'arms race' to develop the next generation of AI technologies — like Google’s new Veo 3 video generation tool, released at the start of June, which is already making headlines for its ability to allow anyone willing to pay $249 per month to create hauntingly lifelike, realistic videos of everything from kittens playing to election fraud — is accelerating as well. AI has become the new oil: the global fuel for economic growth. Unlike oil, however, GenAI alone isn’t valuable. Rather, its power lies in the ability to apply GenAI models to data. That process, akin to refining crude into petroleum, happens in the data centre. "Productivity is far from the only thing GenAI is turbocharging. This rush to build, train, and operate new GenAI models is also accelerating the race to build the digital infrastructure that houses them. Goldman Sachs predicts that global power demand from data centres will increase 50% by 2027 and by as much as 165% by the end of the decade, largely driven by GenAI adoption. "As someone working in the data centre commissioning sector, it’s impossible to overstate the impact that GenAI is having, and will continue to have, on our industry. GenAI has exploded our predictions. It’s even bigger than anyone anticipated. The money, the scale, the speed — demand is growing even faster than the most optimistic projections pre-2023. By the end of 2025, almost half of all the power data centres consume globally could be used to power AI systems. "The data centre commissioning space we’re operating in today has transformed dramatically. On the construction and design side, huge changes, not just in how buildings are constructed, but in the technology inside those buildings, are reshaping how we commission them. "The battle to capitalise on the GenAI boom is a battle to overcome three challenges: access to power, materials, and talent. "GenAI requires an order of magnitude more power than traditional colocation or cloud workloads. As a result, there are serious concerns about power availability across Europe, especially in the UK. We can’t build the data centres we need to capitalise on the GenAI boom because there’s just not enough power. There are some encouraging signs that governments are taking this challenge seriously. For example, the UK government has responded by creating 'AI Growth Zones' to unlock investment in AI-enabled data centres by improving access to power and providing planning support in some areas of the country. The European Union’s AI Continent Plan also includes plans to build large-scale AI data and computing infrastructures, including at least 13 operational 'AI factories' by 2026 and up to five 'gigafactories' at some point after that. "However, power constraints and baroque planning and approvals processes threaten to undermine these efforts. Multiple data centre markets are already facing pushback from local councils and communities against new infrastructure because of their effect on power grids and local water supplies. Dublin and Amsterdam already stymied new builds even before the GenAI boom. This comes with risk, because AI engines can be built anywhere. GDPR means data must be housed in-country, but if Europe and the UK don’t move faster, large US AI firms will resort to building their massive centres stateside and deploy the tech across the Atlantic later. Once an AI engine is trained, it can run on less demanding infrastructure. We risk stifling the AI industry in Europe and the UK if we don’t start building faster and making more power available today. "The other key constraints are access to raw materials and components. Global supply chain challenges have spiked the cost of construction materials, and the lead times for data-centre-specific components like cooling equipment can be as much as six months, further complicating the process of building new infrastructure. "Access to talent is another pain point that threatens to slow the industry at a time when it should be speeding up. Commissioning is a vital part of the data centre design, construction, and approvals process, and our sector is facing a generational talent crisis. There isn’t enough young talent coming into the sector. That has to change across the board—not just in commissioning, but for project managers, consultants, everyone, everywhere. The pain point is particularly acute in commissioning, however, because of the sector’s relatively niche pipeline and stringent requirements. You can’t just walk in off the street and become a commissioning engineer. The field demands a solid background in either electrical or mechanical engineering or through a trade. Right now, the pipelines to produce the next generation of data centre commissioning professionals just isn’t producing the numbers of new hires the industry needs. "This obviously affects all data centre commissioning, not just AI. The scale of demand and speed at which the industry is moving means this risks becoming a serious pinch point not too far down the line. "Looking at the next few years, it’s impossible to say exactly where we’re headed, but it’s clear that, unless Europe and the UK can secure access to reliable, affordable energy, as well as clear the way for data centre approvals to move quickly, pain points like the industry talent shortage and rising materials costs (not to mention lead times) threaten to leave the region behind in the race to capture, refine, and capitalise on the new oil: GenAI."

Siemens to open data centre hub in Spain

Siemens Smart Infrastructure, a division of German conglomerate Siemens focusing on intelligent building technologies, energy systems, and digital infrastructure solutions, is to open a data centre technology hub in the Iberian region. The company says this strengthens its commitment to the development of sustainable, resilient, and efficient digital infrastructure, and reinforces Spain's role as a strategic digital gateway to southern Europe, amid strong sector growth. The move comes during an expansion of the Spanish data centre market, which is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of over 20%. Morgan Stanley estimates that the number of data centres in Europe will increase fivefold over the next decade, with Spain emerging as a key destination. Due to its strategic location, strong connectivity, and abundant renewable energy resources, Spain is seen as an attractive alternative by some, being potentially able to offer capacity relief for overwhelmed traditional (FLAP-D) markets. In its latest Report on the State of the Data Center Sector 2024, Spain DC forecasts that Spain could attract up to €13 billion in investment over the coming years. “The exponential growth of the cloud and AI workloads presents a significant business opportunity but also challenges, and we are committed to helping our customers streamline their operations, execute projects efficiently, and minimise costs, all while achieving their sustainability and availability goals,” says Ciaran Flanagan, Global Head of Data Center Solutions at Siemens. “The launch of this hub in Madrid marks a key milestone on this journey." According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data centre energy consumption reached 415 TWh in 2024 and is projected to more than double to 945 TWh by 2030. Siemens’ new Iberian hub aims to support this rapidly evolving sector with, the company claims, solutions to optimise efficiency and reduce resource consumption. Building on the launch of its Nordic data centre hub, Siemens’ expansion to Madrid suggests an intention to support Iberia’s goal of establishing itself as a leading digital hub in southern Europe. The move should drive regional economic growth, create skilled jobs, and advance the development of digital infrastructure aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal. "The inauguration of this hub underlines the importance of the data centre market for Siemens, both globally and specifically for Iberia,” comments Fernando Silva, CEO of Siemens Spain. “With this new infrastructure, we will multiply our network of technical experts supporting our customers in their requirement for sustainability, efficiency, and operational reliability of their data centres." For more from Siemens, click here.

EDGNEX announces $2.3 billion data centre in Jakarta

EDGNEX Data Centers by DAMAC, a global digital infrastructure company backed by a global conglomerate headquartered in Dubai, today announced the development of a 'next-generation,' AI-powered data centre in Jakarta, Indonesia - its second in the market. This project marks one of Southeast Asia’s largest AI-dedicated developments, with a future projected capacity of 144 MW and a total investment of $2.3 billion. Following the land acquisition completed in March 2025 by DAMAC, the site has entered early construction phases, with the facility’s phase one expected to be ready for service by December 2026. The Jakarta facility will deploy high-density AI racks and is hoped to be a factor in accelerating the country’s transition from an analogue base to an AI-powered digital economy. Indonesia remains a high-potential Southeast Asian market, yet faces digital infrastructure gaps, limited hyperscale readiness, and rising latency challenges. With AI adoption accelerating across sectors, this project seeks to respond to the nation’s growing demand for scalable, energy-efficient infrastructure. “This is our second project in Indonesia, and this development reinforces our commitment to bridging the digital divide in fast-growing markets across Southeast Asia (SEA), such as Indonesia,” says Hussain Sajwani, Founder of DAMAC Group. “We are proud to build what will become one of Southeast Asia’s most advanced, sustainable data centres to power the next wave of innovation and digital growth. The scale of AI workloads demands a new class of infrastructure. This project is part of our broader push across SEA, where we have committed over $3 billion in digital infrastructure investments to date.” The new facility will target a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.32, and builds on EDGNEX’s growing presence in Thailand, Malaysia, and other key SEA markets. In 2024, the company announced its first data centre in Indonesia, a planned 19.2 WM data centre to be built at MT Haryono in Jakarta. It aims to address the growing demand for cloud service providers, edge nodes, and potential artificial intelligence deployments. The first phase is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2026. The regional goal for Edgnex in SEA is 300+ MW of operational capacity by 2026. For more from EDGNEX, click here.

Huber+Suhner opens new POLATIS production site

Huber+Suhner has opened its new advanced manufacturing site in Pisary, Poland, dedicated to the large-scale production of POLATIS optical circuit switches (OCS) for AI and hyperscale data centres. Production capacity is planned to increase at least fivefold over the next two years. Reflecting the surge in demand for OCS solutions, the company is increasing the speed of manufacturing of the POLATIS OCS portfolio with the intention to help ensure hyperscale operators have the technology required to enhance the performance and energy efficiency of data centre architectures and AI compute clusters. “The opening of our new Pisary facility is a major milestone that aligns with our commitment to innovation and operational excellence in optical networking,” claims Jürgen Walter, Chief Operating Officer, Communication Segment at Huber+Suhner. “Our POLATIS OCS solutions deliver transparent, software-defined, dynamic optical connectivity within energy-efficient hyperscale data centres to meet the low loss and latency demands of high-performance AI workloads.” Rising demand for OCS solutions stems from the rapid growth of hyperscale data centre infrastructure across the globe, driven by cloud computing and the increased use of AI. AI workloads are hosted on clusters of thousands of graphical processor units (GPUs) interconnected by optical fibres carrying data at hundreds of gigabits per second. An OCS enables on-demand reconfiguration of optical-layer connectivity and can route large volumes of high-speed traffic with minimal latency. By maintaining data in the optical domain and eliminating the need for optical-electrical-optical conversions, POLATIS OCS solutions hope to reduce power consumption and operating expenditure for hyperscale data centres, enabling new data centre architectures and allowing AI workloads to run more efficiently and at lower cost. With approximately 3,000m², the Pisary site will add to the existing Krzeszowice facility nearby, which is currently being operated at its full capacity. “The Pisary site will enhance our supply of OCS solutions while reflecting our mission for sustainable operations,” says Robert Smith, Managing Director, POLATIS at Huber+Suhner. “The facilities include a photovoltaic installation with a capacity of 150 kilowatt peak (kWp), a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and a biological waste treatment plant. A new building management system has also been implemented to support a low carbon footprint." For more from Huber+Suhner, click here.

Prysmian launches pre-terminated cable assemblies into UK

Prysmian, best known for its manufacture of power and data cable, used the Data Centre World exhibition in London to launch its wrap-around offer for digital communication within data centres. The product attracting the most attention was the company’s promise of bespoke, pre-terminated fibre assemblies, supplied to UK sites within days. This turnaround is reportedly down to the location and capacity of both cable and termination manufacturing sites in Europe. The offer is based on the G657 BendBright bend insensitive optical fibre, utilised in a variety of pre-terminated assemblies. Prysmian FlexRibbon fibre configuration provides Base 12 and Base 16 terminations onto MTP, SN, and MMC/MDC connectors. Pre-terminated assemblies using US Conec-certified MTP/MPO connectors are also available on short lead times. The Prysmian service team, based in the UK, says it is able to take specifications for bespoke cable assemblies using a range of single-mode and multi-mode optical fibres to service high bandwidth requirements. All products come with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty. For more from Prysmian, click here.

ST Telemedia achieves 78% renewable energy usage

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), a data centre service provider headquartered in Singapore, today published its 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report. The report details STT's progress towards its ESG targets, as well as its three main ESG pillars: carbon-neutral data centre operations by 2030; a safe, secure, diverse and inclusive workplace; and ethical and responsible business. With the growing demand for digital infrastructure, sustainability has become a critical priority for organisations worldwide. Bruno Lopez, President and Group Chief Executive Officer, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, says, “As the digital economy accelerates, our responsibility as infrastructure providers extends beyond simply supporting growth—we must lead with purpose and innovation. In 2024, STT GDC made remarkable progress on our sustainability journey, from securing S$500 million in sustainability-linked financing to implementing initiatives such as AI-driven cooling optimisation and pioneering the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil in Singapore. These achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 while delivering the resilient, efficient infrastructure that powers our digital world. Sustainability is not just a corporate objective for us—it is the foundation upon which we are building the future of digital infrastructure.” Some highlights of the 2024 ESG report include: • Achieved 78.5% renewable energy usage. • Achieved a 22.9% year-on-year reduction in carbon emissions across the group. • Issued S$500 million of Sustainability- Linked Perpetual (SLP) securities. • Enhanced Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework — setting further targets, including increasing the use of renewable energy to 85% by 2028 and achieving a 70% reduction in carbon intensity from a 2021 baseline by 2028. • First data centre operator in Singapore to deploy HVO for backup generators. • First data centre operator in Asia to pilot AI-based autonomous control system for optimising data centre cooling in STT GDC’s facilities in Singapore. • Achieved a 66.2% reduction in carbon intensity from the 2021 baseline. • Improved power usage effectiveness (PUE) by 11.2% from the 2020 baseline. • Realised a 34.5% improvement in water usage effectiveness (WUE) from the 2020 baseline. • Achieved zero work-related serious injuries or fatalities since 2020, with a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.1 earned across more than 25 million hours worked in its construction and operations program. • Invested an average of 23.5 training hours per employee in the growth and development of its workforce. • In 2024, its team at STT GDC Indonesia partnered with a local conservation enabler to plant 1,000 mangrove trees at Dusun Tangkolak, Karawang, West Java. • 100% of employees have received anti-corruption training, with zero incidents of corruption. STT GDC's ESG Report is based on a full year’s data from 1 January to 31 December 2024, focusing primarily on STT GDC’s operating entities (data centres and offices) during the year. For more from ST Telemedia, click here.

Aruba boosts connectivity with new EXA Infrastructure PoP

Aruba - a provider in the data centre, cloud, and digital services sector - has announced the activation of a new Point of Presence (PoP) in partnership with EXA Infrastructure, one of Europe’s largest dedicated digital infrastructure platforms. The new PoP is located at Aruba’s Hyper Cloud Data Centre (IT4) in Rome, Italy. The announcement was made this week at NAM 2025 - the annual event organised by Namex, the main Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Central Italy. As a result of this new PoP, Aruba’s IT4 data centre campus in Rome is now directly integrated into EXA Infrastructure’s global network via two fibre optic links. This dual-route architecture aims to ensure maximum security, operational continuity, and resilience. The connections, capable of reaching speeds of up to 400Gbps, are designed to support advanced connectivity needs. Aruba's IT4 campus, located in the capital, covers an area of 74,000m². Once fully operational, the campus will be able to host up to five independent data centres. The site is designed to deliver a total IT capacity of 30MW, with redundancy levels of up to 2N or higher. The campus' first data centre, DC-A, is already operational and has obtained the ANSI/TIA-942-C Rating 4 Constructed Facility certification. The entire site is connected to the Aruba data centres in Arezzo (IT1 and IT2) and Bergamo (IT3) via a modern backbone network. EXA Infrastructure, headquartered in London, is an international operator that owns and manages over 155,000km of fibre network in 37 countries, including six transatlantic cables connecting Europe and North America. "The activation of EXA Infrastructure's new Point of Presence is a key step in building an increasingly connected, resilient, and high-performance digital ecosystem," comments Andrea Colangelo, Director of Network Infrastructure at Aruba. "This type of integration between data centre infrastructure and next-generation networks is essential for attracting international companies and enabling innovative services in the region, strengthening Rome's role as a technological hub in the Mediterranean." For more from Aruba, click here.

CyrusOne plans new London facility

CyrusOne, a global data centre developer and operator, has announced plans for a brand-new data centre facility on the outskirts of London, with sustainability, community, and biodiversity at its core. As the company's sixth location in the UK, LON6 is set to deliver 90 megawatts of IT capacity. Located in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, the LON6 data centre will deliver IT capacity to 30,000m² of technical space across four double-storey and two single-storey data halls. The development is expected to break ground in Q3 2026. With initial power due to arrive mid 2027, the first capacity is expected to be delivered in early 2028. “This development marks an important step in our European growth journey,” says Matt Pullen, EVP and Managing Director, Europe, CyrusOne. “We’re thrilled to be announcing our plans for this new facility and continuing our growth in London. As demand for digital services continues to accelerate, larger facilities are necessary to provide the economies of scale that customers need, while also ensuring maximum functionality and mitigated risk of downtime. The UK market enables us to respond to these requirements, and we look forward to continuing our expansion and supporting the Government to establish the UK as a centre of excellence in digital services for technology innovation.” Secretary of State for Science Peter Kyle comments, “This fantastic new facility will help to power many of our online tasks, from navigating with online maps, to messaging and shopping online and we are committed to growing this vital infrastructure and giving the UK the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century. “Through our AI Opportunities Action Plan, we promised to transform these digital powerhouses into platforms for progress, creating jobs and unlocking breakthroughs that will benefit people across the country. As a result of this new facility in Buckinghamshire, local people will benefit from the creation of 540 long-term new jobs, including roles in engineering, sustainability, and security, and over 30 apprenticeship opportunities for young people – turbocharging economic growth in the area and helping us deliver on our Plan for Change.” Set into the ground, with green roofs and planted walls, the facility is designed to be integrated into the landscape. It aims to deliver a 71% Biodiversity Net Gain for local habitats – seven times higher than the 10% required by government regulation – alongside other community benefits. The data centre is designed to achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” certification and will provide on-site photovoltaic panels to deliver 64% of the regulated office energy demand. Powered from Iver Grid Supply Point, the design uses 100% certified renewable electricity provided by SSEN. The project has the expressed aim to "restore and reconnect the landscape," seeking to improve the site’s biodiversity through the creation of an ecologically rich parkland and new habitats, "enhancing the quality" of the Colne Valley Regional Park. Extensive landscaping plans include the planting of 670 trees (including 145 fruit trees) over 7,000m² of woodland and 90,600m² of mixed meadow and acid grassland. 72,800m² of the newly-created green biodiverse space will be accessible to the public, with an edible landscape, a biodiverse lake, woodland walks, and a cycle path for the local community. CyrusOne has also committed to a long-term Landscape Ecological Management Plan which aims to ensure maintenance and continued public access to the space for a minimum of 25 years. A ‘hidden valley’ will provide an access road around the building, with landscaped terraces providing daylight, fresh air, and views from the exposed timber framed customer and employee offices. Rainwater collection is to be treated and reused within the site, alongside free air cooling from ambient air whenever possible, and half of the designated parking spaces will provide on-site charging hubs for electric cars. The proposal, the company says, is responsive to the needs of the local community and provides a range of benefits, encapsulated in a total investment of more than £1.2 billion into the local and national economy. The campus is set to include a stone gabion clad training centre with industry-specific facilities for employees and students sitting within the campus, yet outside of the secure perimeter for easy access. It is estimated that over 580 full time equivalent (FTE) construction jobs will be created over the development phase and a further 540 FTE skilled employees will be required by CyrusOne and its customers to maintain and run the facility once fully operational. “We’ve been working hand-in-hand with Apt, Atelier Ten, Cameo Landscape Architects, HDR, Ramboll, Cratus, Montagu Evans, and Radcliffes Environmental on the proposals and designs, alongside Longcross Land, who provided investment guidance,” continues Matt. “It’s been a fantastic experience collaborating with industry-leading firms aligned to our sustainability- and community-focused vision, and we look forward to seeing the plans come to life. Additionally, we’ve received support from HM Treasury, the UK Department of Business & Trade (DBT), Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), and the Office for Investment (OFI) which has been critical in progressing with the project and reaching this important milestone.” For more from CyrusOne, click here.

ABB and Applied Digital announce partnership

Applied Digital, a builder and operator of data centres, has launched an infrastructure partnership with ABB, a multinational corporation specialising in industrial automation and electrification products, at the company’s greenfield 400 MW campus in North Dakota, United States. The collaboration aims to innovate energy-efficient solutions to meet the needs of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As part of this long-term partnership, the first orders were booked in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. Further financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. Central to the partnership is a new medium voltage power architecture using ABB’s HiPerGuard Medium Voltage Static Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The HiPerGuard technology seeks to help AI data centres increase power density while compressing electrical plant footprints and increasing energy efficiency. The partnership covers the complete design and development of the site’s electrical infrastructure. Conventional data centres use low voltage power distribution and UPS systems. Switching to medium voltage for the UPS system and power distribution should enable data centres to scale more efficiently, expanding in 25 MW blocks. With fewer parts and cabling, installation should be simpler and reliability higher. "What we are building with ABB is going to completely change the way our industry designs large-scale data centres. By leveraging ABB's cutting-edge technology and global reach, we are able to redefine the electrical infrastructure landscape and meet the growing demands to support large-scale AI Factories,” claims Todd Gale, Chief Development Officer, Applied Digital. Massimiliano Cifalitti, Smart Power President, ABB Electrification, comments, "Partnerships like this are accelerating the timeline for AI-ready data centres with more competitive, resilient power infrastructures. ABB’s technology is designed for peak performance with dedicated capacity across our global production network and industry-leading innovation. ABB teams are ready to deliver at scale and at speed.” For more from ABB, click here.