Data Centre Infrastructure News & Trends

Liberty Energy, PowerBridge form joint data centre venture

Liberty Energy, a Denver-based oilfield services company, and PowerBridge, a developer of power-integrated data centre campuses for hyperscale and AI, have formed a joint venture to support the development of powered data centre campuses, beginning with a planned 2GW site in West Texas, USA. The partnership combines PowerBridge's digital campus development experience with Liberty Power Innovations' power generation and energy management offerings to support large-scale AI and hyperscale data centre developments. The companies say the joint venture will provide an integrated approach to campus infrastructure and on-site power generation as demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow. Its initial focus is the proposed Alpha Digital Campus in West Texas, where the first phase is expected to include more than 300MW of generation capacity. Initial power delivery is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2027, with further deployment planned through the first half of 2028. Joint venture targets future AI infrastructure projects PowerBridge is responsible for developing the digital campus infrastructure, including pad-ready sites and a regional fibre conduit network, whilst Liberty Power Innovations will design, develop, and operate the modular power generation systems. The companies say the model is intended to support future gigawatt-scale data centre campuses serving hyperscale operators, AI workloads, and other large power users. Alex Hernandez, founder and Chief Executive Officer of PowerBridge, comments, "PowerBridge was founded on the premise of driving and solving the accelerating convergence between energy and digital infrastructure. Our mission is to serve our digital infrastructure customers with an integrated powered campus solution while building new power generation assets that strengthen grid reliability. "By aligning our powered campus development assets with Liberty's comprehensive power services and operational expertise, we are creating a model that can be scaled across future gigawatt-scale powered data centre campuses in West Texas." Ron Gusek, Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Energy, adds, "The most sophisticated customers are increasingly seeking partners that can simplify the delivery of large-scale digital infrastructure projects. As power availability becomes a defining factor in data centre development, customers need integrated solutions that align power generation, energy management, and campus infrastructure planning from the outset. "With PowerBridge, we are helping customers secure reliable power faster and more efficiently, supporting the accelerating growth of AI and digital infrastructure." The joint venture remains subject to the completion of commercial agreements and the required regulatory approvals.

Telxius expands Caribbean connectivity in Dominican Republic

Telxius, a Spanish operator of submarine cable networks and telecommunications tower infrastructure, has opened a new point of presence (PoP) at the NAP Caribe data centre in Santo Domingo, expanding its network presence in the Caribbean and strengthening connectivity in the Dominican Republic. The new PoP complements the company's submarine cable landing gateway in Punta Cana, extending access to Telxius's network, transport, interconnection, and security services for carriers, content providers, and enterprises across the region. The expansion is intended to improve network availability, resilience, and performance whilst providing customers with greater access to Telxius's global infrastructure. According to DataReportal, the Dominican Republic had more than 10.2 million internet users in the first quarter of 2025, making it the largest internet market in the Caribbean. Telxius says the new facility is positioned to support growing demand for digital connectivity and internet services. Caribbean network growth continues Telxius operates more than 100,000km of submarine and terrestrial fibre infrastructure worldwide, including 25 carrier-neutral landing gateways and edge data centres. Carlos Casado, Northern Region Sales VP at Telxius, says, "Our new PoP in Santo Domingo reinforces our commitment to delivering world-class connectivity across some of the world’s most dynamic markets. "The Caribbean is home to a growing number of digital hubs, making it a key growth region for our customers and our network. Together with NAP Caribe, we are enabling faster, more secure, and more reliable connectivity across the Caribbean and wider Latin America." Maria Waleska Álvarez, CEO at NAP Caribe, adds, "We are proud to welcome Telxius to our data centre in the Dominican Republic, where its global connectivity footprint is anchored by our advanced technological capabilities, robust security standards, and a highly resilient, carrier-neutral digital infrastructure. "By aligning our visions and strengths, we are accelerating the development of a seamlessly interconnected regional ecosystem and enabling new opportunities for innovation, growth, and digital transformation across local and regional markets." The announcement follows Telxius's recent network expansion in Fortaleza and forms part of the company's continued investment in digital infrastructure across Latin America. For more from Telxius, click here.

DC BLOX joins 1GW AI data centre project

DC BLOX, a provider of connected data centres and fibre networks, has been selected as the digital infrastructure partner in a development consortium, led by Amentum, a US government services and engineering company, that has been chosen by the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to enter negotiations for a phased lease at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The proposed development includes a 1GW AI data centre campus alongside approximately 2GW of dedicated on-site energy generation. The project forms part of a federal initiative to use government-owned sites to support AI infrastructure development, increase power availability for the electricity grid, and advance nuclear reactor technologies. If negotiations are successful, the consortium will develop the project through a public-private partnership intended to accelerate the deployment of AI infrastructure and supporting energy capacity. AI infrastructure and energy development DC BLOX will provide expertise in the design, construction, and operation of digital infrastructure as part of the consortium. The company has previously invested in digital infrastructure across the region and is also a founding member of the Palmetto Nuclear Coalition. Jeff Uphues, CEO of DC BLOX, says, "DC BLOX is honoured to join Amentum and this visionary consortium to support a programme that accelerates our nation's economic growth through technology advancement. To lead, we must innovate not just in how we build data centres, but in how we power them." The Palmetto Nuclear Coalition brings together energy users, industry organisations, policymakers, and other stakeholders with the aim of supporting the future deployment of nuclear energy alongside digital infrastructure. The organisations say the approach is intended to provide reliable power for AI and cloud computing workloads. For more from DC BLOX, click here.

RETN unveils new London–Brussels network route

RETN, an independent global network service provider, has launched a new London–Brussels route designed to strengthen the resilience of its network between the UK and mainland Europe. The new route provides an additional connection into continental Europe, offering customers an alternative to more established paths through Amsterdam and Paris. According to the company, the investment is intended to improve route diversity and support business continuity as demand for resilient international connectivity continues to grow. RETN says the route is underpinned by newly constructed dark fibre between Rotterdam and Brussels, providing the foundation for its own DWDM network in Belgium and giving the company greater operational control over this section of the network. Alternative path adds physical network diversity The London–Brussels route also follows a geographically separate path out of London, avoiding the heavily used Docklands corridor, which carries a significant proportion of international traffic from East London's data centre campuses. It also uses a different landing station from RETN's existing CrossChannel UK–EU route via Slough, creating additional physical diversity for traffic entering and leaving the UK. As businesses place greater emphasis on network resilience, RETN says the new route reduces reliance on traditional transit hubs and established UK–Europe corridors. Tony O'Sullivan, CEO of RETN, comments, "Building resilient networks is no longer simply about adding capacity; it's about creating genuine physical diversity. "As international traffic becomes increasingly concentrated on a limited number of routes, customers need unique alternatives that strengthen business continuity. Our new London–Brussels route delivers exactly that." For more from RETN, click here.

Data centre batteries could cut peak grid demand by 15%

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is increasing electricity demand from data centres and could encourage greater investment in energy storage and clean energy technologies, according to researchers from WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. The researchers argue that, with appropriate policy and market reforms, data centre operators could play a larger role in supporting electricity networks by investing in on-site energy infrastructure alongside new computing capacity. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity demand from new data centres is expected to double by 2030. In the US, data centres could account for up to 17% of electricity consumption by the end of the decade. To assess the potential impact of on-site energy storage, the researchers analysed electricity consumption across 96 UK data centres using data from UK Power Networks. Their findings suggest that using on-site batteries to meet peak demand could reduce peak electricity imports from the grid by 10–15%. Research highlights role of batteries and grid flexibility The paper also proposes a series of policy reforms, including changes to grid connection rules, greater support for on-site battery storage and clean energy generation, incentives for flexible computing loads during periods of grid stress, and measures to encourage investment in next-generation energy storage technologies. The researchers argue that future data centre developments should be assessed not only by their electricity demand, but also by the flexibility, energy storage, and clean energy capacity they contribute to the wider electricity system. Lead author Behnam Zakeri, Assistant Professor and Deputy Head of the Institute for Data, Energy and Sustainability (IDEaS) at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, says, "AI is creating an unprecedented race for electricity. The question is not just where to find clean power, but how quickly it can be delivered to meet AI’s growing compute demand. "Big tech companies are increasingly investing in energy storage as a solution to several of their power problems. What is now emerging is a ‘nexus’ where AI and energy storage reinforce one another. "AI is already helping to discover new materials, accelerate battery development, and optimise energy storage systems. At the same time, the growing demand for reliable, clean electricity for data centres is creating a powerful market for batteries, long-duration storage, and other flexibility technologies. "Under the right conditions, the digital infrastructure boom could help accelerate the clean energy transition beyond data centres themselves, creating spillover effects across other sectors."

Terra Innovatum targets Latin American data centres

Terra Innovatum Global, a developer of micro-modular nuclear reactors, has signed a commercial letter of intent (LOI) with Waiken ILW to deploy its SOLO micro-modular nuclear reactor platform at data centre facilities operated by DIRECTV Latin America and SKY Brasil in Jaguariúna, Brazil. The agreement covers an initial deployment of up to 8MWe of behind-the-meter generating capacity, with the reactors intended to provide on-site power for the facilities. Alessandro Petruzzi, co-founder and CEO of Terra Innovatum Global, says, "This initiative aims to provide reliable, behind-the-meter clean energy solutions for Waiken ILW’s data centers while serving as a proof of concept for other long-term, energy-intensive operations within the Waiken ILW group of companies. "Critical communications infrastructure demands uninterrupted, resilient power. We believe this agreement demonstrates the growing commercial opportunity for behind-the-meter nuclear energy beyond AI data centres, extending into media, telecommunications, and other critical infrastructure sectors." First commercial deployment planned for the region The companies note that the project marks Terra Innovatum's first announced commercial deployment initiative in Latin America and reflects increasing interest in factory-built, micro-modular nuclear reactors for energy-intensive facilities. The SOLO platform is intended for use across a range of sectors, including telecommunications, cloud infrastructure, data centres, financial services, healthcare, and industrial facilities. Giordano Morichi, Founding Partner, Chief Business Development Officer, and Director of Investor Relations at Terra Innovatum Global, comments, "This strategic collaboration with Waiken ILW highlights the commercial strength of our global supply chain and the versatility of our SOLO technology. "The agreement demonstrates that SOLO is not designed for a single market; rather, it is a platform that can scale across multiple industries and geographies, including telecommunications, cloud infrastructure, and data centres, financial services, healthcare, industrial facilities, and other mission-critical operations." Carlos Magariños, Chief Global and Regulatory Strategy at Waiken ILW, adds, "We partner with Terra Innovatum Global to drive a forward-looking energy strategy that reinforces our long-standing commitment to innovation, sustainability, and technological excellence across all our companies and partners. "This alliance will strengthen our infrastructure by delivering reliable, behind-the-meter clean energy to DIRECTV’s and SKY’s broadcasting data centers, paving the way for a cleaner, more resilient, and self-sustaining energy future across Argentina, Brazil, and the broader region." For more from Terra Innovatum, click here.

BSRIA: 'Data centres dominate global cabling'

BSRIA, a UK-based research, testing, and consultancy organisation, has released its latest analysis of the global structured cabling sector. The Structured Cabling Worldwide 2026 report, covering 34 countries, points to a market driven by data centre investment. The global structured cabling market grew 21% in 2025 to $9.08 billion (£6.7 billion), adding $1.3 billion (£965 million) in a single year and building on almost 11% growth in 2024. The data centre segment was the main driver of that growth, increasing by 54% in 2025, as AI infrastructure investment continues to push cabling demand higher. Data centres now account for more than 41% of all cabling installed, almost double the 21% share they held in the 2015 to 2018 period. Markets including Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and India recorded strong growth. Data centre growth across all segments The US delivered the strongest growth of any market, with sales up 44% year on year and the country accounting for almost nine in 10 dollars (89%) of the total global value increase in 2025. The US also holds more than two thirds (69%) of the global data centre cabling market, 14 times the size of second-placed China. Germany, the UK, Australia, and India follow as the next biggest data centre markets. While hyperscalers were the largest contributor to US growth, all data centre segments increased. Some of the US figures reflect products shipped from American hyperscalers into Canada, Latin America, and Europe, so the headline numbers slightly overstate domestic installation. Even allowing for that, the gap between the US and the rest of the world has widened. China is the exception, taking a separate path for reasons explored below. Suppliers dealing directly with hyperscalers have been amongst the main beneficiaries of the increase in US data centre revenues. China takes a different route in AI data centres China's AI data centres are following a different path. Direct Attach Cables (DACs) account for more than the majority (90–95%) of connections there, chosen for their lower cost and shorter lead times. Structured cabling plays a smaller role in those builds than it does in the US and other regions, with commercial implications for suppliers planning Asia Pacific strategies. The report as a whole covers the global structured cabling market across copper and fibre cable and connectivity, as well as associated components, with sales data, supplier shares, and forecasts for both data centre and LAN segments. For more from BSRIA, click here.

PowerCell wins hydrogen power order for AI data centre

PowerCell, a Swedish developer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells for stationary power and transport applications, has secured an order worth approximately SEK 30 million (£2.3 million) to supply hydrogen fuel cell systems for ECL's CSC-1 AI data centre campus in Santa Clara, California, USA. The contract covers the supply of PowerCell PS190 fuel cell systems, together with licences for the company's Distributed Master Controller (DMC), for integration into ECL's FlexGrid microgrid architecture. The installation represents approximately 5MW of power generation capacity, with deliveries scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The order follows the deployment of the same technology at ECL's MV-1 AI data centre in Mountain View, California, and forms part of an ongoing collaboration between ECL, PowerCell, and Bosch. Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell Group, says, "This order demonstrates how hydrogen fuel cells are becoming part of critical energy infrastructure. As demand for computing capacity accelerates, access to reliable power has become one of the industry's biggest constraints. "ECL deserves significant credit for having continuously operated liquid, hydrogen-powered AI infrastructure over the past two years. Technology matures through operation and that experience has created a depth of application knowledge that few organisations have." Project targets resilient AI infrastructure The CSC-1 campus is designed to provide 35MW of AI computing capacity using a combination of grid power, battery storage, natural gas, and hydrogen fuel cells. PowerCell's DMC will coordinate these energy sources through ECL's energy management platform. According to PowerCell, the project marks a commercial deployment of its strategy to combine hydrogen fuel cell technology with energy management software for primary power applications rather than standby generation. Alongside the order, PowerCell and ECL have also signed a separate non-binding memorandum of understanding covering a potential further 300MW of hydrogen power capacity.

Treat your rack like prime real estate

Data centre racks are often specified on dimensions, load ratings, and cost alone. However, as power densities, cooling requirements, and cable volumes continue to increase, the rack has become a critical infrastructure platform that directly influences performance, operability, and long-term resilience. A rack may have available U space and still be effectively 'full' if airflow is compromised, access becomes restricted, or cable and power management become difficult to maintain. Modern data centre environments demand a broader view of rack performance - one that considers serviceability, cooling, power distribution, security, and future growth alongside physical capacity. Elevate's latest whitepaper, Treat Your Rack Like Prime Real Estate, explores why racks should be treated as infrastructure rather than furniture, providing practical guidance for consultants, specifiers, and operators. Covering topics including usable capacity, access capacity, airflow management, and lifecycle planning, the whitepaper offers a framework for designing rack environments that remain effective throughout their operational life. Download the whitepaper and discover what your rack really enables. For more from Elevate, click here.

BAK Power develops battery cell for AI data centre backup

BAK Power, a Chinese manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, has developed a new 2170 cylindrical lithium-ion cell designed for battery backup units (BBUs) used in AI data centres and other mission-critical power systems. Developed in collaboration with Echion Technologies, a UK developer of materials for lithium-ion batteries, the new cell combines Echion's XNO anode technology with BAK's tabless cell architecture. The companies say the design is intended to provide high charge and discharge rates, extended cycle life, and improved thermal performance for high-density AI environments. Evaluation samples are expected to be available from late 2026. The cell has been developed for liquid-cooled BBU architectures, including ±400V module designs, and is designed to support continuous charge and discharge rates of more than 10C. The companies say the design also offers lower internal resistance and improved thermal stability compared with conventional ultra-high-power 2170 cells, helping to maintain performance in the elevated temperatures typically found in AI data centres. Designed for next-generation AI infrastructure According to BAK Power, the new cell is intended to reduce the need to oversize battery backup systems by providing symmetrical charge and discharge performance. The companies also state that the cell has been engineered for longer operational life and improved safety characteristics compared with existing ultra-high-power chemistries used in similar applications. A spokesperson for BAK Power comments, "We have observed that workloads are reshaping the power architecture within data centres, and the existing ultra-high-power cell chemistries are struggling to keep pace with this evolution. "This is exactly the challenge that BAK's new tabless high-power cell, powered by Echion's XNO anode technology, is designed to address, and the very reason we launched this development project. "We are now opening this programme to select BBU system integrators who wish to secure early access to evaluation samples, pursue joint certification, and establish long-term supply partnerships."