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Indian data centre capacity forecast to reach 12GW

India's operational data centre capacity is forecast to grow from 2.2GW in 2025 to 12GW by 2030, according to a new report from global research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie, highlighting continued investment driven by AI, cloud computing, and the country's expanding digital economy. The report, India's Data Centre Landscape: Powering the Digital Economy, predicts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 40% over the five-year period. It also forecasts that AI-dedicated capacity will increase from 275MW in 2025 to 6,546MW by 2030. Wood Mackenzie says rising demand from hyperscale cloud providers, enterprise digitalisation, and AI workloads is underpinning the rapid expansion of the sector. Power availability shapes future investment India's digital economy, valued at ₹32 trillion (£250 billion) in 2025, is contributing to increased demand for digital infrastructure. According to the research, the country has more than 1.03 billion active internet users and processes around 22 billion UPI transactions each month. The report forecasts that data centre electricity demand will increase from 10TWh in 2025 to around 20 times that level by 2040, accounting for approximately 7% of the country's total electricity demand. Whilst Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu currently account for around 65% of installed IT load, Wood Mackenzie expects future growth to extend across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. The report notes that both international hyperscale providers (including Amazon Web Services and Google) and domestic operators (such as AdaniConnex) are investing in new capacity. Souhardya Pal, Research Associate at Wood Mackenzie, says, "India's data centre market becomes a structural investment thesis. The convergence of hyperscale capital, AI workload growth, and a decade of policy support have created the conditions for India to rival any market in Asia-Pacific. "The question for developers and investors is no longer whether to enter India, but where and how." Water and infrastructure remain key considerations The report identifies reliable, cost-effective power as the primary factor influencing new data centre developments, ahead of land availability and capital. It highlights captive power generation and long-term renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) as increasingly common strategies for securing electricity supplies. Wood Mackenzie also highlights water availability as an emerging consideration, particularly as higher-density AI deployments increase cooling requirements. According to its research, developers are increasingly adopting closed-loop cooling systems and zero liquid discharge technologies to reduce freshwater consumption. Rashika Gupta, Vice President of Research at Wood Mackenzie, explains, "Land and capital are no longer the limiting factors for data centre developers in India. What determines site selection and delivery timelines now is access to firm, round-the-clock power at the node level. "Developers who secure their power strategy early, through captive generation or long-term renewable PPAs, will lock in a structural cost and sustainability advantage for the life of their assets."

ABB launches grid compliance solution for Irish data centres

ABB, a multinational corporation specialising in industrial automation and electrification products, has introduced a new energy storage and power management system designed to help data centres comply with emerging grid stability requirements in Ireland. The system combines ultracapacitor energy storage with real-time power orchestration to enable large energy users to respond to grid disturbances within milliseconds, without requiring major changes to existing electrical infrastructure. The announcement comes as Ireland prepares to introduce new grid requirements under EirGrid's proposed MPID345 grid code modification, which will require large-demand facilities, including data centres, to remain connected during grid faults and rapidly restore power demand following network disturbances. ABB has also published a whitepaper, Ireland's Data Centers - Moving from Passive Consumption to Active Participation in Grid Stabilization, outlining how the technology could support compliance with the new regulations. Addressing new grid stability requirements According to ABB, the solution integrates ultrafast energy storage, grid-forming power conversion, and digital control systems to help support grid frequency and voltage stability whilst also maintaining data centre operations. The company says the approach differs from conventional backup systems, which are primarily designed to isolate facilities from grid events rather than actively supporting the electricity network. Ireland's data centres currently account for around 24% of the country's electricity consumption, with that figure expected to increase to 30% by 2032. Under Ireland's Large Energy-User Action Plan (LEAP), new large-scale facilities are expected to provide on-site or nearby generation and/or energy storage, participate in electricity markets, and source at least 80% of their annual energy from new renewable energy projects. Lee Todd, Vice President, Energy & Carbon Services, Electrification Service at ABB, explains, "This is a radical change in what the national grid demands of Ireland’s data centre operators. "When large loads shed simultaneously during a disturbance, the resulting power imbalance can drive frequency excursions that cascade across the entire grid. That is why the country’s data centre operators will be required to provide grid support. And while Ireland is leading the way, other countries such as Spain and US State of Texas are set to follow. "The path forward is not more backup capacity, but precise, coordinated control of power delivered at the exact moment it is needed. We are using ultracapacitors as a unique innovative solution that replaces the need to use the larger alternative technologies of synchronous condensers, e-statcoms, or a combination of different technologies. "The primary purpose of the solution is to provide not only grid inertia and grid voltage control that can be controlled on demand, but [to] support all the available services that energy storage can provide, lowering CapEx investment and OpEx." ABB says a representative 50MW data centre deployment would use five modular 8.4MVA power blocks, providing around 42MVA of dynamic grid support capability. For more from ABB, click here.

Sabey Data Centers marks construction milestone in Oregon

Sabey Data Centers, a data centre developer, owner, and operator, has marked a major construction milestone at its new SDC Umatilla campus in northeast Oregon, USA, holding a "Going Vertical" ceremony as the first structural steel was erected on site. The event, held on 15 July, brought together local and state representatives, community organisations, utility partners, contractors, and members of the project team to mark the next phase of construction. Located in the Columbia Cloud Corridor, the campus is being developed to support hyperscale, enterprise, and colocation customers as demand for cloud computing and AI infrastructure continues to grow. Construction enters next phase The ceremony signalled the transition from site preparation and engineering work to the vertical construction phase. Tim Mirick, President of Sabey Data Centers, says, "Watching the first steel go up is always a significant moment because it turns years of planning, engineering, and hard work into something you can finally see. "We are excited to build here, excited to become part of this community, and committed to serving our customers and this region for many years to come." State Representative Bobby Levy comments, "The construction of this new data centre is an exciting investment in northeast Oregon and a strong vote of confidence in our communities. Facilities like this keep our hospitals, schools, and small businesses connected while creating new economic opportunities. "I'm especially pleased that Sabey's use of a closed-loop cooling system demonstrates that innovation and responsible resource stewardship can go hand in hand. We're proud to welcome Sabey Data Centers to northeast Oregon." According to Sabey, the project is expected to create work for hundreds of skilled tradespeople during construction, supporting local businesses and contributing to the regional economy as development progresses. For more from Sabey Data Centers, click here.

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.

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.

Airbus selects Scaleway for sovereign cloud

European multinational aerospace company Airbus has selected French cloud computing provider Scaleway as a sovereign cloud provider to support parts of its cloud infrastructure, adding European-based cloud services to its existing multi-cloud strategy. Under the agreement, Scaleway will provide cloud infrastructure for selected enterprise applications operating in environments requiring high levels of governance, resilience, and legal protection. The platform is also intended to support AI-enabled workloads. Airbus says the appointment follows a competitive tender process that assessed cloud providers on technical capabilities, operational resilience, and legal and governance safeguards, including European jurisdiction and data protection. The sovereign cloud platform will be built on European infrastructure and integrated with Airbus's existing technology environment. According to the companies, it is designed to support business-critical applications across aircraft design, engineering, manufacturing, and enterprise operations. The agreement forms part of Airbus's wider digital sovereignty strategy, allowing different workloads to be hosted in environments that best meet their technical, operational, and regulatory requirements. Supporting critical applications with European cloud infrastructure Scaleway says the platform will provide interoperability with Airbus's existing cloud estate whilst enabling the company to retain operational control over sensitive applications and industrial data. Damien Lucas, Chief Executive Officer of Scaleway, comments, "Artificial intelligence is redefining how the world's most advanced industries design, manufacture, and operate. Unlocking its full potential requires digital infrastructure that combines world-class performance with trust, openness, and long-term control. "We're proud that Airbus has selected Scaleway to help build this next chapter of its cloud strategy and to demonstrate that Europe can deliver sovereign cloud capabilities at the highest international standards." Catherine Jestin, Executive Vice President Digital at Airbus, adds, "This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our broader commitment to European digital sovereignty. "By integrating a trusted, high-performance cloud environment that keeps our critical data assets shielded from foreign extraterritorial laws, we are ensuring that our digital infrastructure keeps pace with our aerospace innovation while maintaining control and resilience of our industrial operations." For more from Scaleway, 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.

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."

United Infrastructure to develop DC grid connection standards

United Infrastructure, a UK contractor delivering utility and social infrastructure across energy, power, water, and telecoms networks, has been asked by industry stakeholders to lead the development of standardised electricity connection archetypes intended to help accelerate grid connections for UK data centres. The initiative follows discussions between industry representatives and Ofgem on improving the speed and consistency of electricity network connections as demand for AI infrastructure and data storage continues to grow. The work will bring together organisations from across the electricity infrastructure supply chain to develop standard designs for data centres, substations, high-voltage compounds, and other common connection arrangements. The aim is to simplify network design, improve delivery efficiency, and support faster grid connections. Industry collaboration on network delivery The announcement follows a roundtable in Cardiff attended by more than 30 senior representatives from the energy, digital infrastructure, development, and utilities sectors. Discussions covered connection reform, supply chain resilience, decentralised energy, workforce capability, planning, and grid capacity. Akshay Kaul, Director General of Infrastructure at Ofgem, says, "The rapid growth in data centres presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the energy system. "It was encouraging to see how technologies like fuel cells could complement the grid, and these insights will be important in shaping a flexible, resilient, and future-ready energy system." Neil Armstrong, CEO of United Infrastructure, comments, "To be asked to lead on such an important piece of work is a real credit to the engineering teams we have within United Infrastructure. As demand for data centres grows, we are seeing unprecedented interest in our gas-to-power solutions. "Being recognised in this way is testament to the work we are doing to accelerate ‘time to power’ for data centres across the UK, many of which are now frequently classed as nationally significant infrastructure." The programme will initially focus on developing connection archetypes for data centres and associated electricity infrastructure. United Infrastructure says the work will be shared with industry stakeholders to help inform future network delivery and regulatory discussions.

euNetworks launches direct Paris–Milan fibre route

euNetworks, a European bandwidth infrastructure company, has launched a new long-haul fibre route between Paris and Milan, providing what the company says is the most direct connectivity path between the two cities. Spanning 1,057km, the route follows a new path through the Alps, offering an alternative to routes that typically run via Lyon and Marseille. The company says the route has been designed to provide a shorter and more diverse connection between two of Europe's major connectivity hubs, whilst also strengthening wider network connectivity across the region. The announcement follows the launch of euNetworks' direct Frankfurt–Milan route via Zurich in October 2025. Together, the two routes provide shorter connectivity options between Frankfurt and Milan. Customers using the new route can connect to euNetworks' metro networks in Paris and Milan, which include 38 and 18 directly connected data centres respectively, as well as the company's wider network of more than 600 connected data centres across Europe. Route expands European network connectivity According to euNetworks, the new infrastructure is intended to support growing demand for low-latency connectivity driven by AI, cloud services, and data-intensive applications. Marisa Trisolino, CEO of euNetworks, says, "The new route between Paris and Milan is a prime example of our dedication to providing customers with the most direct, diverse connectivity options in Europe. As demand for AI, cloud, and data-driven connectivity rises, shorter routes and diversity become increasingly crucial. "Building a diverse route through the Alps takes a lot of persistence and collaboration with an extensive supplier network. euNetworks was proud to take on this challenge to deliver for our customers and we will continue to expand our network wherever our customers need it the most." For more from euNetworks, click here.